MUMBAI: An expat pilot with Jet Airways hurled "racist" comments at and physically assaulted a lady on a flight, cricketer Harbhajan Singh claimed today. Stating that the pilot also abused a physically challenged man, Singh termed the incident as "disgraceful" and demanded strict action against the person concerned.
"So called this Bernd Hoesslin a pilot with @jetairways called my fellow Indian (u bloody indian get out of my flight) while he is earning here," Singh said in a series of tweets. Specific details about the flight where the incident happened could not be immediately ascertained. "Not only was he racist, but physically assaulted a lady and abused a physically challenged man... absolutely disgraceful and shame on @jetairways," the cricketer said.
Demanding that strict action be taken and such things not be allowed or tolerated in the country, Singh tweeted "#proudtobeindian let's get together and sort this". When contacted, a Jet Airways spokesperson did not offer any immediate comment while there was also no reply to the cricketer's tweets by the airline on the microblogging site.
The tweets from Singh also come at a time when Jet Airways' local pilots body NAG has raised concerns about the behaviour of expat pilots at the airline.
Taking to Twitter, Harbhajan Singh demanded strict action.
Last week, the National Aviators Guild (NAG) had said the carrier is treating Indian pilots in a "step-motherly" manner compared to their expat counterparts on the rolls. Demanding swift action against alleged racist approach of the expat pilots at the airline, the guild had called for disallowing such pilots in the cockpit. NAG has also asked its members not to fly with the expats in the cockpit after one of the foreign pilots allegedly assaulted a trainer in Bengaluru recently. Jet Airways has nearly 60 expat commanders, who mainly operate its Boeing 737 and ATR fleet. In response to NAG's allegations, the airline last week said it has a strict and common code for employees.