Bollywood actor Sonu Sood has condemned the recent assault on airline staff by a passenger, urging for self-defence training programs to become mandatory for flight personnel. In response to a viral video depicting a passenger attacking a pilot after a 13-hour flight delay, Sonu expressed concern over the escalating unruly behaviour of travellers.
Sharing a snapshot of the assault, he stated, "Soon self defence training programs will become mandatory for the airline staff, if people continue to behave in such unruly ways!!"
According to the Times of India, the pilot got attacked around 1 pm. The flight from Delhi to Goa was supposed to take off at 7:40 am but ended up leaving at 6 pm. In the video, a man is seen running up the aisle and hitting the pilot. He was saying, "If you want to fly, go ahead; if not, don't, and open the plane."
This statement follows Sonu's earlier plea for passengers to be polite with airline crews, emphasizing the challenges faced by airline staff due to factors beyond human control, such as weather-related delays. He tweeted, "The weather Gods have their own moods, beyond human control!! I have been patiently waiting for the last 3 hours at the airport . I know it’s difficult but request everyone to be polite with the airlines crew.They are doing their best! Often times I see visuals of people behaving very rudely with them. We need to understand some situations are beyond anyone’s control and everyone deserves to be respected."
The incident adds to a growing list of complaints from celebrities about airline delays and mismanagement. Radhika Apte recently revealed being stranded by Indigo airlines in a Mumbai airport aerobridge for over an hour without access to essential facilities. Meanwhile, Surbhi Chandna criticized Vistara airlines for abruptly off-loading her luggage without explanation and for being uncooperative when seeking clarification.