Mumbai Airport Incident: 15 Officials Sacked for Using Confiscated Items for Personal Use
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In a surprising turn of events, 15 senior officials at Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) were asked to resign after being caught using confiscated items like oil bottles and coconuts for personal use, aviation sources confirmed.
The officials, mostly middle management staff, were confronted by the airport’s HR department last month after CCTV footage showed them taking security-restricted articles (SRA) that were meant to be discarded. Faced with evidence, some were reportedly told to resign immediately or risk being terminated.
Under aviation rules , items such as batteries, toys, cello tape, chilli, lighters, e-cigarettes, coconuts, and oil are banned in passenger cabins and confiscated during pre-flight checks by the CISF. These items are either thrown away or handed over to NGOs like the Rescue Foundation.
One official, who was forced to resign, defended the actions by saying, “The items are bound for the garbage bin or are boxed and collected by NGO Rescue Foundation . We assumed taking an SRA item wouldn’t be a major violation which calls for termination. For years now, none of the bosses bothered with the confiscated coconuts, oil bottles. It was more of a nuisance,"
The affected employees, many of whom had worked at the airport for 10 to 20 years in roles such as senior duty terminal officers and deputy managers, expressed frustration over the strict action. “Our grievance is that we were kicked out without as much as a warning for a first-time offence," one official said.
The incident has sparked debate over how minor violations should be handled and whether clearer guidelines are needed to prevent harsh penalties.
The officials, mostly middle management staff, were confronted by the airport’s HR department last month after CCTV footage showed them taking security-restricted articles (SRA) that were meant to be discarded. Faced with evidence, some were reportedly told to resign immediately or risk being terminated.
Under aviation rules , items such as batteries, toys, cello tape, chilli, lighters, e-cigarettes, coconuts, and oil are banned in passenger cabins and confiscated during pre-flight checks by the CISF. These items are either thrown away or handed over to NGOs like the Rescue Foundation.
One official, who was forced to resign, defended the actions by saying, “The items are bound for the garbage bin or are boxed and collected by NGO Rescue Foundation . We assumed taking an SRA item wouldn’t be a major violation which calls for termination. For years now, none of the bosses bothered with the confiscated coconuts, oil bottles. It was more of a nuisance,"
The affected employees, many of whom had worked at the airport for 10 to 20 years in roles such as senior duty terminal officers and deputy managers, expressed frustration over the strict action. “Our grievance is that we were kicked out without as much as a warning for a first-time offence," one official said.
The incident has sparked debate over how minor violations should be handled and whether clearer guidelines are needed to prevent harsh penalties.
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