No report of people carrying lighters, matchboxes on flight: Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju

Government on Monday said it has not come across any specific report of violation of the regulation which prohibits passengers from carrying matchboxes and lighters on flights, in the last three years.

Interestingly, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, had stirred a controversy in April this year, saying that he carries matchboxes with him on flights since he is not subjected to frisking.

"Matchboxes and lighters are banned for carrying by a passengers onboard the operating flight from civil Indian airports and Indian registered aircraft operating from foreign airports," Raju's deputy Mahesh Sharma told Lok Sabha today.

"So far, no specific report of violation of the regulation has been received," he said responding to a question whether any instances of violation of this rule have come to the notice of the government during the last three years and the current year.

Raju, had on April 7, said that before becoming a minister, his matchboxes and lighters were confiscated by airport security and that he had lost all his lighters and matchboxes then. But after becoming the minister for civil aviation "people stopped frisking me" and "my matchbox also came along with me", he had said.