“Harrowing” time for Indian passengers flying Air France
Mumbai, May 12 (PTI)
Over 50 Indian passengers flying Air France had a “harrowing” time at Paris airport after their aircraft developed a technical problem and complained today on reaching here that they were victims of “racial” profiling.
The passengers, who spent 28 hours in Paris, said they were confined to a lounge at the airport there from 10 pm on Sunday till 7 am the next morning and given “hardly any food and water”.
The passengers, on their way to Mumbai from the US via Paris, said while the foreigners were taken to hotels shortly after their plane returned to the Paris airport due to apparent technical problem following a four-hour flight, they were taken to the lounge and given just a bottle of water and a sandwich.
Giving details of their “harrowing” time, one of the travellers, Vineeta Sengupta said, “No foreigner would have been treated like the way we were treated. People were lying down on the floor over there (at a place at the airport) where immigration takes place”.
Accusing Air France of “racial” profiling, a girl passenger said that the officials there even had threatened that they would be handed over to the police if they did not stop protesting.
Sengupta said the 53 to 54 Indian passengers were later “huddled out” of the airport on a “group visa”, which the authorities could have provided much earlier, and taken to a hotel.
No reason has officially been given for the delay.
PTI
By: steve rowell - 16th May 2009 at 02:17
With respect, that report sounds like a very one-sided account of the hysterical rants of people who aren’t getting there own way. I’m sure Air France and the immigration authorities would give a different version of events.
I’m guessing the problem was that they needed visas to enter the country in order to go to the hotels with the other passengers, in which case the delay would have been with the Indian authorities in Paris.
That said, given the circumstances, and under their duty of care, Air France should have kept them fed and watered.
1L.
I have to agree with you on this one!!!
By: OneLeft - 13th May 2009 at 19:22
the airport authority to provide decent catering…
That’s for the airline to arrange, not the airport, but fair point all the same.
the Indian members of the flight were given the hotel and such hours after the other passengers were accommodated.
I’m sure these would all have been arranged at the same time, as I said before the issue would have been with getting the correct visas from the Indian authorities to allow the poeple to enter the country in order to go to the hotels.
1L.
By: KabirT - 13th May 2009 at 18:15
according to an interview on CNN-IBN of a passenger, the Indian members of the flight were given the hotel and such hours after the other passengers were accommodated.
By: Hand87_5 - 13th May 2009 at 14:50
India started the visa war many years ago.
I recall being similarly held in the Mumbai Departure lounge as flight crew travelling passenger and therefore not having the “correct visa” in the eyes of the immigration officer.
I didn’t whinge about racial profiling, though.
Fair point, however it doesn’t prevent the airport authority to provide decent catering…
By: Hand87_5 - 13th May 2009 at 14:48
Why am I not really surprised …. :diablo:
Just shameful and unacceptable.
By: OneLeft - 12th May 2009 at 19:59
A spokesman from Air France gave this response.
1L.
By: KabirT - 12th May 2009 at 19:19
Yes it is indeed a one sided account. Still waiting for AF’s version.
By: forester - 12th May 2009 at 18:20
India started the visa war many years ago.
I recall being similarly held in the Mumbai Departure lounge as flight crew travelling passenger and therefore not having the “correct visa” in the eyes of the immigration officer.
I didn’t whinge about racial profiling, though.
By: OneLeft - 12th May 2009 at 17:53
With respect, that report sounds like a very one-sided account of the hysterical rants of people who aren’t getting there own way. I’m sure Air France and the immigration authorities would give a different version of events.
I’m guessing the problem was that they needed visas to enter the country in order to go to the hotels with the other passengers, in which case the delay would have been with the Indian authorities in Paris.
That said, given the circumstances, and under their duty of care, Air France should have kept them fed and watered.
1L.
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May 12, 2009 at 10:13 am