Air India has confirmed that a flight attendant was brutally attacked during a stopover in London earlier this week by an intruder who managed to break into her hotel room in the early hours of the morning.
The shaken flight attendant was reportedly rescued by other crew members sleeping in neighboring rooms, who were awakened by her cries for help and were able to chase away the intruder.
The attacked crew member had to be taken to a local hospital and the London Metropolitan Police launched a criminal investigation. The intruder has not yet been caught.
Air India cabin crew stay in a large international hotel right next to London Heathrow Airport. The hotel is also used by several other airlines, as are a number of other hotels nearby.
An Air India spokesman said in a statement that the Tata-owned airline was “deeply dismayed” by the “unlawful incident” at a hotel it uses for stopovers by its flight attendants in London.
“We are providing all possible support, including professional advice, to our colleague and the entire team,” the statement continued. “Air India is also cooperating with the local police and will pursue the matter to the fullest extent of the law.”
Amid growing concerns about sexual violence against women in India, the airline said it had already taken “immediate action” to find an alternative hotel for its flight attendants during their stopovers in the British capital.
However, the contract with the new hotel has not yet started and in the meantime, crew members must continue to stay at the hotel where the alleged attack took place. Air India said it had “been in touch with the management of the current hotel to ensure the safety of colleagues staying there”.
According to local media reports, the flight attendant was dragged from her bed by the intruder and attacked with a coat hanger, resulting in bruises and bloody marks on her face.
The flight attendant tried to escape and was eventually rescued by her colleagues. Due to her injuries and emotional state, the crew member had to be brought back to India as a passenger.
Before being taken over by the Tata Group, Air India told crew members that the airline was so short of cash that it could no longer afford four- or five-star hotels during international stopovers.
In 2018, flight attendants were relocated to more basic three-star hotels and there was even a discussion about getting crew members to share hotel rooms to halve hotel room costs.
Air India continues to pay its pilots to stay overnight in a first-class hotel in central London.
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