Madurai Couple Get Married on SpiceJet Flight
A wedding on a chartered flight has won full marks for ingenuity but is under investigation over the violation of Covid-safety rules.
The Covid-19 pandemic has put a dampener on nuptials with many postponing or cancelling their wedding plans due to curfew rules and restrictions in place across several Indian states amid the second wave. But some are finding a way around the curfew rules and managing to tie the knot in unusual ceremonies despite the pandemic. A young couple from Madurai, Tamil Nadu booked a chartered SpiceJet flight to Bengaluru and their wedding was held mid-air. The couple, Rakesh and Dakshina, decided to rent an entire chartered flight for two hours and invited 161 guests so that they could get married in full attendance of all their friends and family. Photos & videos of the wedding have gone viral online.
In one video, the groom is seen tying the mangalsutra on the bride as cameras capture the moment with a crowd on the aisle behind them. In one shot, the couple are smiling in front of the camera.
The bride is decked with flowers and jewellery and the groom is in traditional south Indian attire.
There are more visuals that show people sitting and enjoying the function inside the aircraft. Most of them are without face masks and there is no social distancing in what seems to be a packed flight.
Regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has launched an inquiry into the mid-air ceremony.
It has asked for a full report from the airline and the Airport Authority and says the crew has been removed from the roster. Madurai Airport Director, S Senthil Valavan said, "A SpiceJet chartered flight was booked on 23rd May from Madurai. Airport Authority officials were unaware of the mid-air marriage ceremony.” In a statement, SpiceJet said, “The flight was booked by a travel agent on May 23 for what was claimed to be a post-wedding joyride. The clients were denied permission for any activity to be performed on board. The agent and the guest passengers were briefed in detail, both in writing as well as verbally, on social distancing and safety norms to be followed as per Covid guidelines both at the airport and on board the aircraft throughout the journey. Despite repeated requests and reminders the passengers did not follow Covid guidelines and the airline is taking appropriate action as per rules.” However, in the latest twist to the tale, an image of crew members onboard the Spice Jet flight posing with the newly married couple has gone viral on social media, contrary to Spice Jet’s official position on the matter.
