A couple in southern India chartered an entire Boeing 737 plane on Sunday to stage a midair wedding ceremony without coronavirus restrictions, India’s aviation regulator said on Monday when announcing an official probe into the incident.
A young couple from Madurai in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu booked an entire flight by the Indian air carrier SpiceJet for a few hours on May 23 to hold their wedding ceremony midair along with nearly 200 guests. Tamil Nadu is currently under a strict Chinese coronavirus lockdown which allows no more than 100 guests at weddings in the state.
“The couple reportedly exchanged wedding vows in the presence of about 170 guests and family members at the moment the plane was over the Meenakshi Amman temple, one of Tamil Nadu’s best-known [Hindu temples],” Britain’s Independent online newspaper reported May 25.
Photos and videos of the midair wedding went viral on social media Sunday, prompting India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to launch an inquiry into the flight on Monday.
“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 [sic],” India’s NDTV news site reported. A mangalsutra is a special necklace that a groom ties around a bride’s neck as part of a Hindu wedding ritual.
A DGCA official said the regulatory body had “de-rostered” the entire crew of the SpiceJet flight as of May 24 pending further investigations into the incident.
“We have de-rostered the crew and directed the airline to lodge a complaint against those not following Covid-19 [Chinese coronavirus] appropriate behavior with relevant authorities. We will take strict action,” the DGCA official said in a statement.
“A SpiceJet chartered flight was booked yesterday from Madurai. Airport authority officials were unaware of the mid-air marriage ceremony,” Madurai Airport Director S. Senthil Valavan told Asian News International (ANI) on May 24.
Spicejet said a travel agent booked the flight from Madurai to Bengaluru in neighboring Karnataka state on May 23 for the stated purpose of a “post-wedding joyride.” The Indian airline carrier said it was unaware of its clients’ plans to stage a wedding ceremony mid-flight.
“The client was clearly briefed on Covid [Chinese coronavirus] guidelines to be followed and denied permission for any activity to be performed on board,” SpiceJet said in a statement issued May 24.
“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 [Chinese coronavirus] guidelines both at the airport and on board the aircraft throughout the journey,” the statement further read.
“Despite repeated requests and reminders the passengers did not follow Covid [Chinese coronavirus] guidelines and the airline is taking appropriate action as per rules,” a SpiceJet spokesperson said Monday.
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