By Kabir Chaudhary
From VIP cultures to celebrity tantrums, passengers travelling through aeroplanes have witnessed it all. Be it rescheduling of flights or re-routing of the planes, to accommodate the whims and fancies of the oh so big people, the mango man has been crushed.
And when Sonu Nigam decided to entertain the passengers (as opposed to troubling them), the crew faced the brunt.
With the Sonu-Jet Controversy doing the rounds, here is a list of past incidents when the truth of what celebrity airs are all about came out. The in-flight clashes which gave the passengers, as well as, the flight crews something to remember.
Ranveer Singh
The Punjabi boy who is known for his eccentric behaviour had an argument with the flight attendant just because the non-vegetarian meal option was finished on a Kolkata-bound flight. He lost his cool and later did not even accept a bottle of water.
Katrina Kaif
A “Tu Janta Hai Mein Kaun Hu” moment took place when Katrina Kaif was on a flight. She was in deep sleep and was woken up by the air-hostess to fasten her seatbelt. Suddenly the air hostess found herself being awarded some harsh words for touching her. A round of apologies followed. After all, what could do the unknown air hostess do?
MP Renuka Chowdhary
Congress leader Renuka Chowdhary delayed an Air India flight for 45 mins. She was ‘allegedly’ found shopping at the duty-free. According to her, she was waiting for the cart to drop her off at the gate. Next time, any of you find her, tell her to try walking to the gate for once or use the hi-tech express ramps.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju
Minister Kiren Rijijiu was under the radar for quite some time because 3 passengers were de-boarded to accommodate Rijiju and his PA. In his defence, he said it was a ‘simple’ case of miscommunication with the airline. Apparently, he didn’t even notice the passengers leaving the aircraft.
Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin was removed from an American Airlines flight because he refused to stop playing “Words With Friends” while the cabin doors were shut and the plane was getting ready to leave the gate. Things got serious when he infuriatingly slammed the bathroom door so hard that the captain heard it and ordered to remove him from the plane. Because playing is more important than flying safely for Alec.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54zO96eKa1A
MP Pappu Yadav
MP Pappu Yadav disrespected an air-hostess on a Jet Airways flight because she refused to clean his bag. Pappu who also threatened to hit her with his slippers denies such allegations. Opposition party Congress demanded that he be arrested for his behaviour and called for an end to ‘VIP culture’. Yes, Congress party which practically invented this culture demanded that.
Conrad Hilton
Conrad Hilton, the younger brother of Paris Hilton, was involved in a 10-hour long fight with the crew of British Airways flight enroute Los Angeles. He used abusive language against them, smoked weed in the lavatory and told he will own every one of them. He also called the crew PEASANTS.
Sonu Nigam
Recently, Sonu Nigam was in the spotlight because he decided to be the in-flight entertainment of the Jet Airways flight. This led to the suspension of the flight crew for not adhering to operational procedure. He protested against the Jet Airways’ decision and referred to this as “Real Intolerance”.
The incidents may have kept the paparazzi employed or entertained passengers, but for a majority, they have been a nuisance. Celebrities and politicians should realise that with fame and power comes great responsibility. They are accountable to many. After all, the airline staff and the crew are doing their job so that we reach our destination safe and sound.
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