New Delhi, July 22: The US airline, which frisked former president Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) and treated him as a commoner recently, apologised to him on Wednesday.
In a media statement issued on Wednesday the airline said: “Continental Airlines apologises to the former president of India, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, for any misunderstanding and/or inconvenience related to the security screening on April 21, 2009.”
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) had on Tuesday registered an FIR against Continental Airlines for carrying out pre-embarkation body check of the former president of India in gross violation of its rules that exempt specified VVIPs/VIPs from it.
As per the FIR, Dr Kalam was travelling by Continental Airlines (flight no CO-083) from IGIA, New Delhi to New York. As he proceeded towards the aircraft, the staff of the Continental Airlines carried out frisking of the former president in contravention of BCAS rules even as the CISF personnel pointed out that he was exempt from such checks.
“Our intention was never to offend Dr Kalam or the sentiments of the people of India. Continental Airlines takes great pride and is honoured to have flown a respectable leader such as Dr Kalam,” the airline said in the statement.
“We have tendered a formal apology to Dr Kalam and we sincerely hope he will fly with us again,” it added.
The airline however reiterated its commitment to comply with regulations mandated by local authorities (BCAS) as well as US authorities (Transportation Security Administration – TSA).
“While ensuring compliance with TSA and BCAS requirements imposed upon us, we sometimes encounter circumstances wherein the TSA and BCAS regulations are not compatible. We hope the respective government authorities resolve these differences at the earliest in order to avoid any recurrence of this situation in the future,” the statement further said.
–Agencies