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“We're strip searched, asked to remove even sanitary pad,” say SpiceJet air hostesses
A group of air hostesses working with budget carrier SpiceJet staged a protest at Chennai airport on Saturday alleging that they have been subjected to strip search by the airline's own security team for the last few days. The crew alleged that they were strip-searched after deboarding from flights on the suspicion that they were swindling cash collected from the sale of food and other items on-board.
A video of the crew complaining their ordeal has surfaced on Saturday. "Someone touched me inappropriately, made me feel very uncomfortable. I was naked," a woman was heard saying.
Another air hostess later told NDTV on condition of anonymity that one of her colleagues in her period was asked to remove her sanitary napkin.
The airlines rejected the allegations of strip search, but confirmed that their security teams undertook "random pat down searches" at a few of the stations on the night of March 28 and March 29 as part of security and safety standard operating procedures.
The air hostesses' protests caused two midnight flights get delayed by almost an hour. Reports said that the crew returned to work only after the management assured them a meeting on Monday to discuss the matter.
“One of the objectives of this search is to ensure that there is no pilferage of company money/goods, smuggling or any illegal activity that an employee may be lured into. This also ensures security and safety of our passengers, employees and assets. This search is essentially the same as what any passenger goes through at any of the Indian airports,” said a SpiceJet spokesperson.
He said the searches were conducted as per the laid down procedures in closed rooms by well-trained employees of same gender.
A group of air hostesses working with budget carrier SpiceJet staged a protest at Chennai airport on Saturday alleging that they have been subjected to strip search by the airline's own security team for the last few days. The crew alleged that they were strip-searched after deboarding from flights on the suspicion that they were swindling cash collected from the sale of food and other items on-board.
A video of the crew complaining their ordeal has surfaced on Saturday. "Someone touched me inappropriately, made me feel very uncomfortable. I was naked," a woman was heard saying.
Another air hostess later told NDTV on condition of anonymity that one of her colleagues in her period was asked to remove her sanitary napkin.
The airlines rejected the allegations of strip search, but confirmed that their security teams undertook "random pat down searches" at a few of the stations on the night of March 28 and March 29 as part of security and safety standard operating procedures.
The air hostesses' protests caused two midnight flights get delayed by almost an hour. Reports said that the crew returned to work only after the management assured them a meeting on Monday to discuss the matter.
“One of the objectives of this search is to ensure that there is no pilferage of company money/goods, smuggling or any illegal activity that an employee may be lured into. This also ensures security and safety of our passengers, employees and assets. This search is essentially the same as what any passenger goes through at any of the Indian airports,” said a SpiceJet spokesperson.
He said the searches were conducted as per the laid down procedures in closed rooms by well-trained employees of same gender.
