Pilot Refuses To Fly, Leaves Eknath Shinde Stuck At Jalgaon Airport For 45 Minutes
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The Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister's departure from Jalgaon was delayed after the pilot cited exhaustion and duty hour restrictions
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's return to Mumbai from Jalgaon was delayed twice on Friday — first, due to technical issues before arrival, and later after the pilot of his aircraft refused to take off, citing duty hour limitations and ill health.
According to NDTV, Shinde was scheduled to arrive at Jalgaon at 3.45 pm but reached nearly two-and-a-half hours late due to technical reasons. After landing, he travelled to Muktainagar by road, where he participated in the Palkhi Yatra (religious procession) of Sant Muktai, accompanied by ministers Girish Mahajan, Gulabrao Patil, and several administration officials.
After completing the visit and returning to Jalgaon airport at around 9.15 pm, a second delay occurred. The pilot of Shinde's personal aircraft refused to fly, stating that his duty hours had ended and that fresh clearance would be needed to operate the flight. The pilot also cited ill health as an additional reason for refusing to take off, according to NDTV.
As per News18 Marathi, the pilot had already been flying for 12 consecutive hours and was not in a position to continue, both due to his condition and technical regulations.
In an attempt to resolve the situation, Mahajan, Patil, and other officials held discussions with the pilot for about 45 minutes. Mahajan also contacted airline officials for the required permissions. According to Lokmat Times, a doctor was also called to examine the pilot's condition. After the medical assessment and necessary approvals, the pilot eventually agreed to operate the flight and the aircraft departed for Mumbai.
Speaking to reporters, Girish Mahajan said, 'The pilot had a health-related concern and an issue with the timing. There were some technical difficulties too. We spoke to the airline company, and they explained the situation to the pilot in their own way. It was a minor issue."
During the return flight, the Deputy Chief Minister's team assisted a woman who urgently needed to travel to Mumbai for a kidney surgery. According to NDTV, the woman, Sheetal Patil, and her husband had missed their scheduled flight. Upon learning about their situation, Mahajan arranged for the couple to board Shinde's aircraft.
Ambulance services were kept ready at Mumbai airport to immediately transfer the woman for surgery.
Gulabrao Patil said, 'Eknath Shinde has not forgotten his days of struggle even today. He has shown sensitivity towards the common man."
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