Kochi: The captain of a private airline Friday off-loaded the entire Kerala Strikers cricket team and its supporters from the flight for misbehaviour, the airline said. The team denied the charge.
In a statement issued here by the airline, it said that flight 6E-314 from Kochi to Hyderabad, scheduled to depart at 1 p.m., had to abort take-off and was taken to the bay as some passengers started misbehaving with the crew.
"As a result, the captain had to request the security staff to offload 30 passengers, along with their baggage. Initially the passengers resisted but eventually had to deplane as the other passengers on board requested the same. We are facilitating the rebooking process for these passengers on the next available flight," it said.
The flight eventually took off from Kochi at at 2.33 p.m. and landed at Hyderabad at 3.44 p.m. said the airline statement.
Kerala Strikers represent the Malayalam film actors.
Speaking to the media on the episode, team captain Rajeev Pillai gave his version of the incident.
"Soon after the air hostess finished her demonstration, there was some clapping of hands and whistling. This irked not the one who did the demonstration, but the one standing behind her who then complained to the captain. The captain then asked all of us to get out and we came out," he said.
Meanwhile, a Kochi airport official told IANS that the team is at the airport waiting to catch the next available flight as their next match is scheduled in Hyderabad Saturday.
The 30-member group included the team, its support staff and two women actors too.
