Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)
Mangaluru, Nov 23: Permission to board the flight was denied to a woman passenger, who was supposed to fly to a gulf country, at the international airport here on the night of Friday as the airport authorities suspected the authenticity of Covid testing report of the passenger.
Chand Begum, a native of Shivamogga, had got her Covid test done at Shivamogga Institute of Medical Sciences on November 18. On November 19, she got the report. In order to go to a gulf country, she arrived at 11.30 pm on November 20 to Mangaluru International Airport. But the authorities at the airport denied her permission to board the aircraft as they found that the spelling of Shivamogga is different at two places mentioned in the Covid report as per the information shared by a relative of Chand Begum.
Zakir Hussain, brother of Chand Begum said, "We had to return without boarding the flight as repeated appeals to the officials of the airlines were not heard till 3 am on Saturday, November 21. Though the relatives of Chand Begum got the issue clarified by the senior officer of the concerned laboratory of the hospital, the officials of SpiceJet denied permission to board. So Chand Begum had to undergo Covid test once again on Saturday, in a hospital in Mangaluru."
Replying to the query by scribes, Santhosh, PRO of SpiceJet said, "I am not aware as to why the woman passenger was not allowed to board the flight. We have to follow several protocols of the central government as well as the foreign country to which the passengers are travelling to. Detailed information will be sought from the concerned officer who was on duty on the night of Friday with regards to this incident.