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The Indians, flying to Mumbai from Washington via Paris, complained that they were confined to the lounge on Monday with just some water and a sandwich after their plane reached Paris late from Washington and they could not board the connecting flight to Mumbai.
The passengers of the flight AF025 alleged that while they had to remain at the airport, people with American passports were given transit visas, provided accommodation and taken care of.
Complaining of discrimination and insensitivity towards them, a passenger Gwyneth Alphonso said, "We were not put on the immediate connecting flight on the same day. We were told that we have to just adjust within the environment. (Those) who held American passports were given visas and accommodation and were taken care of. But we who had Indian passports were the only ones to be denied any kind of help at that place".
The passengers said the airline extended an apology to the passengers through an SMS.
Over 50 Indian passengers had on May 12 accused Air France of 'racial' profiling at Paris airport where they were stuck while in transit after their aircraft developed a technical problem, a charge denied by the airline.
The passengers said their plane had left Washington three hours behind schedule due to a technical problem and that they had barely 20 minutes in hand after arrival in Paris to take their connecting flight to Mumbai. They said they just could not make it to the connecting flight.
Another passenger Jagdish Patankar, who had to spent the night in the 'sanitised' area at the airport, said, "It shows total insensitivity towards the incidence. For six hours, we were in that area. We were provided with water, were not provided with juice or food or anything. We were all there just stranded."
The passengers said they were finally put on a flight to Mumbai after they protested.
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Air France is Air Farce
I guess the best answer to the insensitive thick skinned white MNC called Air France would be to shun using Air France as the mode of Transport, Let them realize the mistake.United We Stand,Shubh
This is human nature.When we depend on others for living, technology, social esteem, it comes with a price tag. Everywhere we are discriminated. So, we should learn to live with that or MAKE INDIA STRONG enough that no Indian aspire for foreign shore for livelihood and living(it should be ok for tourism). Second point, descrimination is in India also. This should be no news to us. Scheduled Caste people are still barred to enter few temples in Tamilnadu. Biharis are often discussed for bad reasons and the good Bihari News are supressed. The list will be long...The zist is that, descrimination is everywhere. We must not cry over it...But TRY to NOT let it happen at ourlevel at least.
It happened eralier also. If Air France has any issues in dealing with Indian passport passengers,they must tell them in advance and leave to the passengers to decide. They can not hold them hostages in a foreign land and assign them to uncomfortable situations. This highly deplorable and demands immediate intervention from the cosy external affairs to clarify the matters. Now and then they should also feel their responsibilty towards their country.
Not sure why we are whining. Anyone who is sensitive has the option vote with their pocket. Strange that we line up to get out of India in big numbers and then complain.