The
captain
of
a
private
airline
on
Friday
off-loaded
the
entire
Kerala
Strikers
cricket
team
and
its
supporters
from
the
flight
for
misbehaviour,
the
airline
said.
The
team
denied
the
charge.
In
a
statement
issued
here
by
the
airline,
it
said
that
flight
6E-314
from
Kochi
to
Hyderabad,
scheduled
to
depart
at
1
pm,
had
to
abort
take-off
and
was
taken
to
the
bay
as
some
passengers
started
misbehaving
with
the
crew.
"As
a
result,
the
captain
had
to
request
the
security
staff
to
offload
30
passengers,
along
with
their
baggage.
Initially
the
passengers
resisted
but
eventually
had
to
deplane
as
the
other
passengers
on
board
requested
the
same.
We
are
facilitating
the
rebooking
process
for
these
passengers
on
the
next
available
flight," it
said.
The
flight
eventually
took
off
from
Kochi
at
at
2.33
pm
and
landed
at
Hyderabad
at
3.44
pm
said
the
airline
statement.
Kerala
Strikers
represent
the
Malayalam
film
actors.
Speaking
to
the
media
on
the
episode,
team
captain
Rajeev
Pillai
gave
his
version
of
the
incident.
"Soon
after
the
air
hostess
finished
her
demonstration,
there
was
some
clapping
of
hands
and
whistling.
This
irked
not
the
one
who
did
the
demonstration,
but
the
one
standing
behind
her
who
then
complained
to
the
captain.
The
captain
then
asked
all
of
us
to
get
out
and
we
came
out," he
said.
Meanwhile,
a
Kochi
airport
official
told
IANS
that
the
team
is
at
the
airport
waiting
to
catch
the
next
available
flight
as
their
next
match
is
scheduled
in
Hyderabad
on
Saturday.
The
30-member
group
included
the
team,
its
support
staff
and
two
women
actors
too.
IANS