His onetime antics more a source of humour than contempt now!

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Most BIA employees were thrilled when they heard the January 8 poll result, not so much because it marked the end of a dictatorial rule, but because it also marked the fall of a certain high flier close to the fallen Big Boss, they say.

This pompous big wig of the country’s foreign affairs ministry has been taking wings to foreign countries so often that he had become a familiar sight at the airport.

And the airport employees hated him because of his arrogant conduct - his antics meant to show off his power and importance.

Now, that the high flier is politically down and out, memories of his antics evoke in them more humour than contempt. In fact, they regale themselves recalling his silly doings which had once been a source of annoyance to them.

The high flier, they say, always arrived at the airport escorted by a squad of black-clad body guards.  Despite there being no security threat to him, he made it a practice to get his body guards to carry out a thorough check of the entire inside of an aircraft before boarding it.

“His pomposity was such that he wanted the airport authorities to carry out more or less the same security measures as being taken when the Head of State is about to emplane on an official foreign visit,” an employee said.

Another airport employee recalled another funny doing of the high flier which showed a typical symptom of his syndrome. “On one occasion, he ordered an airport official to stand near the aircraft holding a board carrying the legend:  ‘Special VIP passengers’ in wait for a group of passengers coming through the VIP lounge. And the officer had a shock when the VIPs turned out to be none other than a group of the high flier’s housemaids!

On yet another occasion the high flier had made a big commotion at the airport when he failed to get VIP treatment for his wife.  His wife was to take a flight for a holiday in cooler climes and he accompanied her to the airport. He expected the authorities to be aware of his high status and ensure first class travel for his wife. He flew into a rage when he was told that the first class on that particular flight was full up and she had to choose the next best class if she was to be on that flight. He had allegedly given a call and abused the airline and airport staff in pretty choice language and issued an ultimatum: “Either my wife travels first class on this flight or the plane will not take off tonight.”