NEW DELHI: Issuing a strong message to its rank and file, Air India terminated the services of two air hostesses for using their cabin crew privileges to smuggle products ranging from codeine-based medicines to electronics. Richa Choudhary and Akshita Sharma were terminated at the behest of the Air India management after the new chairman-cum-managing-director Ashwini Lohani took a tough stand. Choudhary was caught smuggling not once, but twice in seven days in September. Both were cabin crew employed on contract and not as permanent staff.
The first instance occured on September 16 before a flight to Chicago. During baggage scans, airport security officials discovered 900 bottles of Phensedyl stuffed in Choudhary’s bag. According to senior airline officials, she was given a stern warning and allowed to proceed to the flight after her baggage had been confiscated and stored in the crew movement office at the airport.
A week later, Choudhary was caught again, this time alongside Akshita Sharma, for attempting to transport 6,000 pen cameras and 6,000 memory cards. “Choudhary and Sharma were detained for not declaring the items in their baggage.They were crew of AI-310 from Hong Kong and were let off on payment of Rs 25,000 as duty,” a customs official said.
Codeine-based medicines are widely used as recreational drugs. “People who take it for a long period of time can become addicts,” a doctor said.
“The airline issued termination orders on Monday. The idea is to send across a message that such indiscipline will not be tolerated,” a director with the airline said. Lohani was not available for comment.
