'Donkey flight' row: Airline lawyer says passengers had return ticket
The lawyer of Romania-based Legend Airlines, Liliana Bakayoko, has claimed that most passengers on the flight grounded in France had hotel reservations and return tickets from Nicaragua. Speaking to NDTV, she claimed the judges who heard the stranded passengers declared the procedure followed by French authorities as "irregular" and subsequently allowed the flight to leave the country. The plane with 303 passengers was halted in France on December 20 (local time) over suspicions of human trafficking.
Why does this story matter?
Legend Airlines's charter plane from Dubai to Nicaragua with 303 passengers—mostly Indians—remained grounded in France for four days. The action reportedly came in response to a tipoff that some passengers on board were "victims of human trafficking." The flight was later allowed to leave Chalons-Vatry airport, and it landed in Mumbai with only 276 passengers on Tuesday. The remaining 27 passengers, including five minors, stayed in France; 25 sought asylum, and two previously detained passengers were granted aided witness status.
Peculiar situation after plane landed in France
Describing the events following the plane's landing in the Chalons-Vatry airport for refueling as "peculiar," Bakayoko claimed the airline crew was asked to leave the airport, stay at a hotel, and wait to testify as witnesses. This left only the passengers behind, creating confusion for the flight's captain who was responsible for them, she said. The crew was later interrogated for hours before being released, but the plane remained seized, Bakayoko told NDTV.
Hearings at airport; judges declare procedure irregular
Judges and attorneys allegedly conducted hearings at the airport, listening to the passengers' testimonies. After three hearings, the judges declared the procedure irregular due to a lack of translators and delays in informing passengers of their rights under French law. Bakayoko stated, "The judge ruled that the detention is irregular. The French authorities decided to let everybody go home." Some passengers, however, chose not to return to India, where the plane eventually landed on Tuesday.
Client responsible for checking passports and visas
According to Bakayoko, a foreign (non-European) company chartered the flight from Dubai to Nicaragua and was responsible for verifying passengers' documents. She did not reveal the client's identity but indicated they chartered other flights to Nicaragua. Bakayoko said problems also emerged when some sought asylum. "The Indian Embassy worked hard with the French authorities to speed up the process of obtaining all the permits... Some of them refused to go...276 passengers...left for India and the others requested asylum," she added.
Know about term 'donkey' or 'dunki' flights
The term "donkey flights" refers to an illegal method used by some migrants to transit through third-world countries with relaxed travel document requirements to reach their final destinations. Donkey or "dunki" in Punjabi is majorly used for unauthorized entry into countries like the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. This method has allegedly gained notoriety among Indian and Pakistani migrants. Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan's 2023 film Dunki has also highlighted this issue.
