Air India cabin crew held as deportees at Zurich for 24 hours

A view of the cell where Air India crew members were confined to for a day in Zurich, Switzerland.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

They remained confined for 24 hours in the cell and were allowed to leave the cell only to use the toilet. They were also barred from using the shower facility and their mobile phones. The Hindu has requested Air India’s response.

The crew did not carry a valid crew member certificate. According to sources, the crew member certificate was endorsed under the Vistara name, but immigration authorities refused to accept it since they were travelling as Air India employees. Vistara merged with Air India on November 12, 2024.

A Crew Member Certificate (CMC) is an identification card issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to facilitate the movement of airline pilots and cabin crew members.

Sources also said that the crew confined in the cell for 24 hours reported for duty for the next day’s return flight from Zurich, they had to carry out all their official duties of pre-flight checks, cabin safety, attending to passengers, et al.