Video of Haryana fitness 'icon' Bobby Kataria smoking on SpiceJet plane calls airport security into question

A passenger, identified as a fitness guru from Gurugram, Haryana, managed to light a cigarette on what appears to be a SpiceJet plane and was seen smoking it onboard. A viral video shared by Uttarakhand MLA Umesh Kumar shows Bobby Kataria in the act. Smoking is banned under central guidelines as well SpiceJet terms of carriage.
A man wearing pyjamas with the name 'Bobby Kataria' printed on one side was seen smoking on a SpiceJet plane

A man wearing pyjamas with the name 'Bobby Kataria' printed on one side was seen smoking on a SpiceJet plane

Photo : Twitter
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Indian Aircraft Rules, 1937, forbid smoking inside a plane.
  • A man, identified as Bobby Kataria of Haryana, was seen lighting a cigarette and smoking it on a SpiceJet aircraft.
  • Uttarakhand MLA Umesh Kumar questioned the "state of security" at airports after the video blew up.
Clip of Bobby Kataria smoking on SpiceJet plane infuriates Twitter
In-flight smoking is banned in India under The Aircraft Rules, 1937. Even so, should a passenger, out of ignorance or innocence, carry cigarettes with them, there’s little chance a flyer can sneak such combustible substances past the security-check.
However, one man managed to light a cigarette on what appears to be a SpiceJet plane and was seen smoking it onboard. A TikTok-esque viral video that appeared on Twitter, shows the man, identified as Bobby Kataria of Gurugram, Haryana, in the act.
Balvinder Kataria aka Bobby, who belongs to the Basai village in Gurgaon district, is seen casually lounging, hogging an entire row of seats as he lies on his back. It’s not clear, however, who filmed the video.
The clip has infuriated social media with many calling into question the state of security that enabled this violation of aviation code.
Sharing the video on the micro-blogging site, Independent MLA from Uttarakhand’s Khanpur constituency, Umesh Kumar wrote: “This is the state of security at airports in this country. @AmitShah g @AmitShah ji this person is openly flouting the law of the country. What a mistake this feat in security is.”
Ever since the previously-deleted video of Bobby allegedly smoking in a SpiceJet plane blew up, netizens have called on Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, to take action against the offender.
"Investigating it. There will be no tolerance towards such hazardous behaviour," Scindia reassured in a tweet.
On account of the old video reappearing online, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security clarified told ANI that he had travelled from Dubai to New Delhi on January 23 this year.
Disorderly conduct or any act likely to imperil the safety of an aircraft is considered an offence serious enough for imprisonment up to two years or a fine up to Rs 10 lakh, or both. Smoking could also result in a lifetime ban for passengers.
It comes after the airline reported a string of incidents related to technical malfunctions and safety failure in a span of weeks.
Last month, a Jabalpur-bound SpiceJet flight doubled back to Delhi after the crew noticed smoke at an altitude of 5,000 feet. Other issues included a cracked windshield, door warnings, fuel-indicator malfunction and bird strike.
A survey of 21,000 respondents by LocalCircles found that at least 44% were avoiding flying with SpiceJet, the third-biggest airline in the country, thanks to safety concerns.
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