India’s former president is a threat to air safety?

India’s parliament is up in arms over Continental Airlines’s treatment of the country’s former president. MPs are condemning the way APJ Abdul Kalam was “forced to wait on the aerobridge even as the airlines security personnel debated whether to put him under the security scanner or not.” The airline hasn’t provided an apology, mainly because ...

583291_090721_kalam2.jpg
583291_090721_kalam2.jpg
New Delhi, INDIA: India's outgoing President A P J Abdul Kalam waves while meeting guests during a reception at the Presidential palace in New Delhi, 22 July 2007. Kalam's term expires on 24 July and he is set to be replaced by Pratibha Patil, (72), a politician nominated by the ruling Congress Party and who will become India's first woman president. AFP PHOTO/Prakash SINGH (Photo credit should read PRAKASH SINGH/AFP/Getty Images)

India's parliament is up in arms over Continental Airlines's treatment of the country's former president. MPs are condemning the way APJ Abdul Kalam was "forced to wait on the aerobridge even as the airlines security personnel debated whether to put him under the security scanner or not."

India’s parliament is up in arms over Continental Airlines’s treatment of the country’s former president. MPs are condemning the way APJ Abdul Kalam was “forced to wait on the aerobridge even as the airlines security personnel debated whether to put him under the security scanner or not.”

The airline hasn’t provided an apology, mainly because it thinks the security staffers were following protocol (read: didn’t know better):

‘He had to go through the entire security check because it is our policy to frisk everyone. This is the policy Continental Airlines follows over the world. There is no special rule for VIP or VVIP.

In fact, Kalam was very cooperative and underwent the entire process which happened over a month ago,’ said the public relations officer of Continental Airlines.” 

AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Brian Fung is an editorial researcher at FP.
Tag: India

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