Minister turned away despite having valid AI ticket

Madhya Pradesh Minister of State for Agriculture Brajendra Pratap Singh was not allowed to board the Delhi-bound Air India flight from Raja Bhoj Airport in Bhopal on Saturday despite him carrying a proper ticket.

Singh reached airport at about 8 am for the flight scheduled to leave for New Delhi at 9.10 am. But, when he went to the check-in counter, the official on duty told him that he could not be accommodated in the plane as it was full to its capacity, sources said on Sunday.

However, Manohar Dubey, the deputy secretary, public services guarantee, who was also accompanying the Minister and was standing in front of him in the queue, was allowed to board the plane, they said.

The minister, along with Dubey, was on his way to Delhi en route to US to collect an ward being given by the United Nations for the work done by the Madhya Pradesh government under the Public Services Guarantee Act, sources said.

Following this, the Minister returned from the airport and later went to Delhi by a state government plane, sources said.

A complaint has been lodged with the airline authorities in this regard, sources said.

Meanwhile, AI officials said the Airbus 320 has a capacity of 167 passengers and tickets are usually issued to five or seven more passengers anticipating cancellations.

"All airlines do this that is why it is said that passengers should report to the counter well in advance," they said, adding that the Minister was not allowed to board the plane as he reached the check-in counter after the flight was full.