A former Union minister from Hyderabad detained an Air India flight from Delhi to Hyderabad after checking in, because she reported late for boarding because she was allegedly busy shopping.
Ms Renuka Chowdary was seen wandering through the shopping section at the Delhi airport and reported at 7.04 pm for the flight which was assumed to leave at 7 pm, civil aviation ministry sources said.
Flight AI-126 had arrived from Chicago and was to depart for the final leg of its journey to Hyderabad. As many as 276 passengers boarded the flight at Delhi. Angry passengers opposed the delay, sources said.
Sources said the politician had examined in three pieces of baggage which had been duly loaded on the aircraft. When she reported late, the airline determined to allow her to board since recognizing and removing the baggage would have delayed the flight further.
