A group of female Spicejet flight attendants are crying foul over being subjected to ‘degrading’ strip searches by the airline.
The airline acknowledged random checks of flight crew were conducted due to the suspicion of theft but denied this entailed strip searches.
A number of FAs lodged an official complaint after a video came to light of angry crew members accusing the airline of forced strip searches at Chennai Airport.
The random checks were carried out after a tip-off of possible thefts of cash from sales of in-flight catering and other items sold onboard.
"We were treated in an inhuman way. The staff forced us to take off our undergarments and we were frisked maliciously and in an inappropriate manner," the complaint alleges.
"SpiceJet’s security team undertook searches at few of our stations on the night of 28/29 March. One of the objectives of this search is to ensure that there is no pilferage of company moneys/goods, smuggling or any illegal activity that an employee may be lured into," the airline said.
SpiceJet said no strip searches were ordered and ‘pat downs’ by security officers of the same sex took place as per standard operating procedures.
"This search is essentially the same as what any passenger goes through at any Indian airport," a SpiceJet spokesperson said.
However it promised a full investigation of the actions of security personnel in Chennai.
