Cabin crew member took pictures of interior of VVIP aircraft forwarding it on social media.
A senior cabin crew member in the Air India team, couldn’t resist the temptation to take pictures of the interiors of the new aircraft cabin that ferried home, India’s first ever VVIP aircraft from Boeing facility in Texas last month. She got suspended for this act as this is prohibited.
“After photographs of highly secured aircraft made their way to social media, an investigation was initiated by the Prime Minister’s Office and the source of leak was traced. The said crew member along with the cabin supervisor of that flight has been suspended till further notice. The supervisor was suspended because it was her duty to ensure that such omissions don’t occur,” according to an Air India source.
Air India spokesperson refused to make any comments on the matter while the source further told that other Air India officials too might receive suspension order adding, “One of the people whom the said cabin crew sent the photographs was a relative of his. She is a retired Air India employee too. Air India has suspended this retired employee’s free passage and medical benefits.”
The aircraft is the first of the two retrofitted Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft with the call sign “Air India One” ordered by India which will fly the President, the Vice-President and the Prime Minister on international state visit.
“It’s no secret that the security norms surrounding VVIP aircraft are stringent ones. The crew selected to operate such flights are generally briefed about the does and don’ts. It’s not clear why the crew member thought it was okay to take and share photographs,” told an airline official.
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