India, 25 May. An Indian couple flew a chartered commercial plane along with 160 guests and held a wedding ceremony mid-air to get around a pandemic lockdown in their home town. The couple from Madurai in southern Tamil Nadu state booked the entire Boeing 737 flight to Bangalore to exchange their vows on Sunday but are facing an inquiry after videos of the event went viral.Tamil Nadu is under a severe wave of coronavirus and has restricted gatherings, including weddings to 50 people. The couple, identified as Rakesh and Dakshina, exchanged garlands and performed Hindu rituals as the aircraft flew over the revered Meenakshi Temple on its two-hour flight. Videos on social media showed the couple in their wedding finery posing before cameras as scores of mask-less relatives jostled in the aisle. SpiceJet Airlines said that its staff warned the guests about the event as domestic airlines make it mandatory for passengers to wear masks and maintain social distance during flights.
The videos led the country’s aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation to launch an investigation as they suspended the flight crew pending an inquiry. “DGCA has initiated investigations on the mid-air marriage,” the authority said. “It has sought a full report from the airline and Airport Authority. SpiceJet crew is off-rostered.” The regulatory body also asked the airline to file a complaint against the people on board who were not following Covid-19 rules. Indian weddings are known for their grandeur and elaborate ceremonies but the pandemic has dampened the celebrations, with most states limiting guests and ceremonies. India on Sunday passed 300,000 deaths as it continues to reel under a second wave of the pandemic that has overwhelmed its healthcare system. It was unclear whether the couple held further ceremonies on their return. SpiceJet said the couple had booked the plane from Madurai to Bangalore in neighbouring Karnataka state through a travel agent for a “joy ride” after their wedding. “The client was clearly briefed on Covid guidelines to be followed and denied permission for any activity to be performed on-board,” SpiceJet said. The Indian government has tightened its aviation rules in recent years to handle unruly and disruptive passengers, and created a national no-fly list to keep a track of such travellers. Actions can include a domestic flying ban of between three months and two years.
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