On 29 April 2013, Jet Airways operated a charter flight to Waterkloof (FAWK), an airbase near Johannesburg, South Africa. This flight was taken out of India by violating several rules. It’s unusual landing at the defence base, without permission generated a huge controversy in South African media. The local investigating agencies and police interrogated and humiliated the Jet crew for hours and consequently the airline was forced to remove the aircraft from Waterkloof to Johannesburg International Airport (FAOR), where it should have normally landed.
An enquiry conducted by South African government indicted Jet Airways for entering South Africa without a valid Foreign Operators Permit and avoiding customs inspection of passengers and their baggage by landing at an Air Force base without informing customs authorities of the country (copy of the report is with Kalchakra).
This act of landing at an defence airbase could have endangered the lives of all the passengers, which included two UP Cabinet Ministers, Shivpal Yadav and Azam Khan. This unlawful act lowered the prestige of our nation in South Africa and in the International Aviation Industry. Most reluctantly, DGCA conducted it’s own ritualistic enquiry, which is an humbug. Disturbing fact is that despite such gross violations no effective action has been taken against Jet Airways, why ?
