Air India revokes flight ban on Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad with immediate effect

In a relief to Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, Air India revoked his flight ban with immediate effect.

Ravindra Gaikwad wrote to Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapthi Raju, conveying "regrets" over incident where he hit Air India staffer with slippers.

Gaikwad was grounded after a purported video of him thrashing a 60-year-old AI officer went viral and triggered widespread condemnation, even from within the government.

Gaikwad again tried to book tickets on Air India flights yesterday, but the airline rejected the booking.

The Air India booking was the seventh attempt on the part of the Sena MP to book a flight on Air India, which barred him from flying after he assaulted the airline's staffer.

"There was an attempt to book a ticket at 5 AM today through our web portal. The reservations were being made for March 17 for travel from Delhi to Mumbai and for 24 March from Mumbai to Delhi," said an airline source.

The ticket was being booked under the name 'Ravindra Gaikwad' and we were alerted through our tracker, the source said.

The MP has also made an attempt each to book an IndiGo flight as well as a SpiceJet flight since the flying ban on him by all domestic carriers was put in place.