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Have not received apology from Continental: Kalam

July 23, 2009 12:36 IST
Former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam has said he is yet to receive an apology from Continental Airlines for frisking him at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi in April this year.

"I have not yet received it. Whatever I had to say, I have already said it," said Kalam.

The statement came a day after Continental Airlines had issued a public apology for subjecting Kalam to a security frisking at the airport prior to his boarding a US-bound flight of Continental Airlines on April 21.

Terming the incident as a case of misunderstanding, the airlines tendered an apology after the government had filed
a First Information Report against it for breaching Indian aviation rules.

The case was registered after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security approached the police against the staff of the American airliner for carrying out a pre-embarkation body check of Kalam, which it maintains, is in gross violation of a BCAS circular, which exempts specified VVIPs/VIPs from security checks. 

Earlier, Continental Airlines had clarified that it did not insult Kalam by frisking. Rather it was done following American aviation policy to frisk everyone, including VIPs and VVIPs. The incident had created a furore inside Parliament.
Source: ANI