Collateral Damage: Air India Cancels Flight of Wrong Kunal Kamra

“I did not understand why particularly I was blacklisted,” said the Boston resident.

Comedian Kunal Kamra has been banned from flying Air India.

(Photo Courtesy: YouTube Screengrab)

Air India may have put comedian Kunal Kamra on its no fly list but it’s his namesake who has had to bear the consequences of the ban. On 3 February, US resident Kunal Kamra found that the airline had cancelled his flight from Jaipur to Mumbai. When he enquired at the check-in counter, he was told that his PNR had been cancelled because his name was blacklisted. "I could understand why, but I did not understand why particularly I was blacklisted. I knew why the other Kunal Kamra was blacklisted,” he told India Today.

While Air India ground staff eventually issued another ticket, the Boston resident claimed he wasn’t informed before his flight was cancelled and had to show two different ID cards to prove his case of mistaken identity. "The whole scenario was really confusing because first, the Jaipur airport security had to clear me, then Air India had to clear me and I needed clearance from both these parties to get on the flight. The airline took a copy of my Aadhar card and it was enough for them, but the security wasn't convinced with all my Indian IDs so I had to show them my American ID, which finally worked. It was just a very unpleasant experience,” he said.

Air India spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar clarified in a statement, “Comedian Kunal Kamra is banned from boarding Air India. It's mentioned in our system, that's why his name was automatically rejected. But after verification of all the credentials of the passenger, we allowed him to board the flight.”

The news caught the attention of Kunal Kamra, who called the incident “collateral damage”. Four airlines – IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet and GoAir – have banned Kamra from using their services after a video of the comedian’s confrontation with Republic TV anchor Arnab Goswami on an IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Lucknow went viral on social media. IndiGo suspended him from flying for six months, and Air India barred him from flying “until further notice” to “discourage such behaviour” on 29 January.