MUMBAI: When seated in economy class, there are many things a passenger does to get a tad comfortable. Some twist and turn in their cramped seats. A passenger onboard a flight from the Middle East to India had a better idea. He coolly fished out a pack of cigarettes and, to the surprise of his co-passengers, out came a lighter. But just after the twain had met, onlookers reported him to the cabin crew and his plans to enjoy a cigarette in the sky went up in smoke.
It is not possible to fly on board a passenger aircraft without encountering a good number of no-smoking signs, apart from literature on the ban in lighting up. All of that seems to have escaped the notice of the passenger on Jet Airways Muscat-Mumbai flight 9W591 on Tuesday. "The said passenger, a Bangladeshi national, was in his seat when he casually took out a cigarette and a lighter and had just lighted it when cabin crew, who were alerted by co-passengers, had it extinguished," said an airline official.
The crew did not have any problems dealing with the passenger. "They warned the passenger, who by then realised that smoking was banned in an aircraft," the official added. But the passenger was not unruly and kept apologising through the flight.
A Jet Airways spokesperson confirmed the incident. "He tried to light a cigarette during the flight. The cabin crew took prompt action in line with Jet Airways safety regulations and prevented the passenger from smoking. On landing in Mumbai the passenger was met by security personnel for further action," said the airline response. It was learnt that the passenger was let off after a warning.
But the question that remains is how did the passenger manage to sneak in a lighter on board the aircraft. "It seems to be a lapse on part of security personnel at Bahrain airport. A lighter is one of the items banned in flights. It should have been confiscated at the airport itself," said an aviation security official.
In India, smoking in aircraft was banned sometime in the 1990s. Before that, there were smoking sections in aircraft flown in India and abroad. Smoking was identified as a flight safety hazard after it contributed to inflight fires and accidents (see box).
It is not possible to fly on board a passenger aircraft without encountering a good number of no-smoking signs, apart from literature on the ban in lighting up. All of that seems to have escaped the notice of the passenger on Jet Airways Muscat-Mumbai flight 9W591 on Tuesday. "The said passenger, a Bangladeshi national, was in his seat when he casually took out a cigarette and a lighter and had just lighted it when cabin crew, who were alerted by co-passengers, had it extinguished," said an airline official.
The crew did not have any problems dealing with the passenger. "They warned the passenger, who by then realised that smoking was banned in an aircraft," the official added. But the passenger was not unruly and kept apologising through the flight.
A Jet Airways spokesperson confirmed the incident. "He tried to light a cigarette during the flight. The cabin crew took prompt action in line with Jet Airways safety regulations and prevented the passenger from smoking. On landing in Mumbai the passenger was met by security personnel for further action," said the airline response. It was learnt that the passenger was let off after a warning.
But the question that remains is how did the passenger manage to sneak in a lighter on board the aircraft. "It seems to be a lapse on part of security personnel at Bahrain airport. A lighter is one of the items banned in flights. It should have been confiscated at the airport itself," said an aviation security official.
In India, smoking in aircraft was banned sometime in the 1990s. Before that, there were smoking sections in aircraft flown in India and abroad. Smoking was identified as a flight safety hazard after it contributed to inflight fires and accidents (see box).
