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"We were kept in a room with no food or water and we were told we could not leave. We spent a whole night over there in that condition," Vineeta Sengupta, a passenger who was onboard flight AF-218, said.
"No one would have been treated the way we were treated," she said adding "we were made to sleep on the floor".
Refuting the allegations, the airlines said in a statement here that "passengers were taken care of by the Air France ground staff who spoke fluent English and passengers were also provided with food and water."
It said the pilot while en route from Paris to Mumbai noticed some vibrations from the cargo hold of the Airbus A-330, carrying 169 passengers and 12 crew members. The plane returned to Paris where it was checked but "no abnormalities were found".
The passengers said that their flight was delayed forcing them to spend in Paris close to 28 hours from Sunday night. During this time about 50 Indian passengers were kept in a small room for several hours at the airport while other passengers were given hotel accommodation, they said.
However, the airlines explained that they had put up passengers with valid transit visas at nearby hotels for the night and had made all attempts to obtain clearance for other passengers which was "time consuming".
Another passenger complained that they were only given sandwiches and water to sustain themselves and that too in a limited quantity forcing them to keep on asking for more.
The flight from Paris to Mumbai left from Charles de Gaulle airport on Sunday but later returned to the airport after the pilots noticed some vibrations from the cargo hold, airlines officials said.
A subsequent check revealed there was nothing wrong with the aircraft, they said.
"When we said we would complain, one of the officials looked at me, up and down, and then said that we could complain if we wanted to. It is very shameful that we were treated like this," a woman passenger said.
"The pilot had initially aborted take off at Paris airport saying it was because of some 'switch' trouble. After a two-hour wait, the plane took off only to return after four hours of flying. The captain announced that the aircraft was returning to Paris due to operational reasons," Sengupta said.
"The officials there even had threatened that we would be handed over to the police if we did not stop protesting," another passenger said.
54 Indian passengers were later "huddled out" of the airport on a "group visa", which the authorities could have provided much earlier, and taken to a hotel, she said.
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I don't understand what an airline has to do with government regulations. If you need a visa for France and you take the risk of transiting without visa don't blame the airline. It's too easy to shirk responsibility for taking the risk of being held at an airport because you don't have the proper documents.
There could've been a few different reason for not letting people out of the airport1) Widely prevalent Swine Flu cases in North America.2) EU compliant passports or visa restrictions. 3) Other French /EU Immgiration regulations.I have travelled a few times through CDG Paris terminal F (4-6 hour wait) and the experience was not so enjoyable. Mainly due to the following . 1) There is nothing to do in the airport.2) No decent restaurants.3) Lately cannot smoke inside.I agree Paris is a sloppy airport compared to Dubai or Singapore. I don't want to travel Air India with Grumpy "old bags" serving food. If you call this racism, then you must try working in Saudi Arabia or any of the middle east and see how indian's are treated by the Arabs. At least the French didn't take anybody into custody and harass them for terrorism or other suspicious acts. Did they? Most of us definitely lack the decorum and etiquette of the French.
Its' very common with the Air France and I had first hand experience of their high headedness few years ago.I among with few other did make a 'fuss obout the behaviour of the ground staff with was clearly discremenatory depending on which country you come from.They finally agreed to give shared rooms in a hotel for 16 hrs. elay flight.I was threatened with police 'action' and finally when I landed nin Delhi, my luggauge was missing and one of the on board staff told me 'quitely' that this is because I was the one making loud protest.......never ever in 9 years I travel Air France and avoid Paris on long haul as stopover.
Seems like, I have to stop learning French...
This Quite common with Air France , i have experienced similar thing and these guys do not offer anything .After that i did file complaint with air france but nothing happened they didn't get back to you.Surprising such a big company that too European carrying out these practise
Why don't we encourage Air India, but problem with Air India are also not minimal, they've got some sluggish staff, Air India also delays no. of hours previously, i;m not sure how it is now. I'm waiting for Kingfisher
I indeed feel pity for you that you have been subject to maltreatment or degree of racism at the hand of Australians.I personally saved many Indian boys and girls by hooligans on picknicking near Effil tower.But you as Indian if feel threatened by colour then why you leave your country be there where you are,safe,secured and protected.every time and again we hear white girls are molested and raped in India then where are your idea of racism,dont you know how to behave with da foreinger,,all idea emerge to criticize the white n white did this and did that.please dont complain more first look inside of you..(mary_us12@yahoo.co.in)I personally feel very bad if anything goes wrong wid anyone whoever they may be.
We had a bad experience with Air France 25 yrs ago.They left us in Degauley air port and did not inform anything about our next connecting flight nor did they provided any refrshments during our stay German air ways Lufathnsa also provides very old air crafts to indians and not to Europeans
Before passing judgements on others , look at Airindia's behaviour.It treats North Indians speaking diferrently and poeple from south in a partion way.What you sow you will reap.I do not find any thing wrong with AF.Indians Deserve.
Well, I totally second the opinion on collectively standing against Air France. I travelled to Paris and bc frm London via Paris. The differential standards are pretty visible to Asians and in particular Indians. Its very much in the airlines character to behave in the most ridiculous fashion as if Indians are travelling for free and eveu complain, they take it as mundane matter. High time. I guess lets make a blog community and aware all the fellows of the kinda treatment they endow to Indians.
I think the best way to protest is to boycot Air France Flights from India as well incoming Air France Flights to India.
Perhaps they should have chosen Jet Airways!
I am indian and i will say I have seen foreigners treated much worst at our own airports. Look at ourselves before passsing a judgement.The custom official was once found staring at a foriegner and later the girl asked him what his problem was..thereby causing a mini scandal at mumbai airport..anyways we are more racist than anyone out there.
I am not surprised at all. Air France is one of the rudest airlines to fly- they do profile racially. as an Indian try asking for a second drink on their flights! it is high time the Indian ground staff reciprocate in kind.
3 years back the same thing happened to me and lot other people while we were travelling from chennai to NY. We were just left stranded in the paris airport lounge for 18 hours. No one even knows English there. And the food they give is a bottle of pepsi and a packet of chips.-Madhu
I also agree that boycotting french airlines and french products would be the answer. If we do not react we will be treated like dirt.Also those who went through the harrowing experience should launch a official complaint against the airlines. Remember the minister who told that Mittals money was monkey money when he was going to buy a plant, they are racist.
I would call those people fool who didn't protest in France at that time. If they could tolerate it then
Don't expect any more from the French, they are snooty people. BTW: The british don't care too much for them and try to avoid them as much as possible. I don't fly with middle east and french airlines and stick with Indian, UK
they have the audacity to look down at Indians! maybe these ungrateful cowards have forgotten that it was Indians who protected their bloody borders in the world wars. french are good for nothing and good at nothing, let these dogs be.
I hope the Indian families affected have taken pictures/videos, documented, recorded everything that happened? Learn to sue, guys! As for someone mentioning chaos at Delhi airport, I would say my recent experience at Charles De Gaulle was utter chaos while connecting a AF flight to Mumbai! Of course the Indian airports can definitely be better organized.
The problem is all European Governments. It is easy to hurt their interests. For example Indians can boycott all french products. Remember we once boycotted British made clothes by burning them and it hurt the Brits ego. India imported $10M worth of French wine. So if you a true Indian start with boycotting french wine.
Thank GOD I have never flawn air france.With that kind of treatment to INDIANS, I will never fly that airline.
We had similar experience in 2005 on the return flight from Paris to Newark, even though we had US passports. Not enough vegetarian sandwiches while waiting at the airport, long delay to process for hotel accommodation,, dingy hotel, no arrangement for vegetarians - finally they gave us boiled pasta but without any sauce or veggies; for sauce, the waiters pointed to catchup. Finally, when we arrived in Newark, I registered a claim for damaged bag which took them 2 years to take care.I strongly suggest, Indians avoid Air France and do not stop over in Paris. Neither Air France as airlines, nor Paris hotels provide a decent experience to indians.
Disgusting french stinks of racism, hope this crisis will teach them a lesson...stop flying in Air france
That Airline needs to be banned for one year from entering India's Aerospace for such illtreatment.