PUNE- A 20-year-old woman has made an accusation of harassment by an off-duty pilot during an Akasa Air (QP) flight from Bengaluru (BLR) to Pune (PNQ). She reported the incident to the flight attendant and the airline but claimed no action was taken.
According to her account, the pilot coerced her to change seats and sit closer to him, even offering her the alcoholic beverage he was consuming.
Akasa Air Pilot Harassed Girl
Akasa Air stated that it conducted a thorough investigation into the matter but faced challenges as the girl was not available for contact following the incident that occurred on October 1.
However, the young woman informed The Times of India on Monday that the airline had responded to her social media post, and she reiterated the details of the incident. Despite expressing regret over the incident, Akasa Air allegedly failed to make any subsequent contact with her.
On Sunday, the young woman, speaking from Pune, recounted her distressing experience. Being a college student, she explained that she was heading home on a flight after completing a three-month internship in Bengaluru.
She stated, “I was seated in 32C towards the rear of the plane when a man in his mid-30s initiated a conversation with me after kindly offering to help stow my luggage in the overhead compartment. He mentioned that he was an off-duty Akasa Air pilot, and I noticed he was wearing the airline’s ID card.”
She went on to describe how the pilot later relayed a message through a flight attendant, asking her to come to the back of the plane, near the crew area.
“Initially, I assumed there might be some issue with my checked luggage. I went there and inquired if there was a problem. He began to laugh and offered me a substance in a bottle, claiming it was an alcoholic beverage he was consuming. I declined and made my way back to my seat. However, it was not easy because he persistently attempted to engage me in conversation, causing me considerable discomfort,” the student added.
Despicable Behaviour by Aviation Professional
The young woman claimed that the pilot proceeded to compel her to switch to a seat near the 16th row, where he was seated, and the crew relocated her luggage.
She expressed her desire to return to her original seat as the pilot made advances that made her increasingly uncomfortable. She began to feel uneasy and frightened by his flirtatious behavior.
According to her account, she conveyed her discomfort regarding the seating arrangement to the cabin crew, but to her dismay, they appeared to trivialize the pilot’s advances, responding with laughter.
The passenger further alleged that the pilot followed her upon disembarking in Pune and urged her to accompany him during his stay in the city before his flight duties. He also insisted on obtaining her mobile number.
Frustrated with the situation, she reported the incident to Akasa Air by detailing it in their feedback form. Also, she shared her experience on social media but did not receive a favorable response.
She expressed her disappointment, stating that it had been 15 days since her unsettling encounter with no resolution.
Airline Response
Regarding the case, a spokesperson from Akasa Air mentioned, “Upon receiving notice of the social media post, our social media team tried to send a direct message to the passenger. However, her social media account is private.”
“Consequently, the team decided to respond via a comment. Committed to addressing the feedback as a priority, our head of customer experience attempted to contact the passenger by phone twice. When the calls went unanswered, in accordance with our protocol, the matter was escalated to the head of our compliance team.”
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