Another victory for Airbus

The latest do on an Air India flight from United Arab Emirates to New Delhi served as a resounding slap on the face of all the doubters and detractors of the finest and most sophisticated Airbus products:

Air India said yesterday that it was investigating allegations of a mid-air brawl in which pilots and cabin crew exchanged blows in front of startled passengers. The fight broke out after a female attendant accused the pilots of sexually harassing her, it was claimed.

Notice that both the captain and the co-pilot where accused. This is what I call a real cockpit!

It started in the cockpit but spilled out into the galley of the plane as about 100 passengers looked on. It is thought the plane was travelling at 30,000 feet during the punch-up. The cockpit of the Airbus A-320 was left unmanned at one point, and one of the pilots threatened to divert the plane to Pakistan, the Times alleged.

And I have no doubt whatsoever that the plane would have made that side trip to Pakistan if it were necessary.

We hear that Air India and other airlines are considering a plan to equip the planes with detachable wooden chair legs, empty beer bottles, pots and pans of several kinds and other handy accessories to allow full participation for the passengers.

The dry bureaucratic term "cabin entertainment system" is getting a completely new meaning. Now the flight time will really fly!