Air India’s handling of unruly passengers criticized by regulator

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Air India came under fire on Thursday January 5 from the country’s aviation regulator for its handling of an unruly passenger on a flight from New York in November, and also admitted that a second similar incident had occurred last month on a Paris-New Delhi flight.

Air India said in a statement that it had banned a male passenger for 30 days in accordance with regulations following an incident on November 26 on a flight from New York to New Delhi in which the man, while apparently drunk, had urinated on another female passenger. .

The airline, which is owned by the Tata group, said it had reported the matter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India’s aviation safety watchdog, for further action.

The DGCA, however, said on Thursday that it had sought details from the airline about the incident, but on the face of it appeared that Air India had failed to comply with the provisions relating to the treatment of an unruly passenger at edge. “The behavior of the airline concerned appears to be unprofessional and has led to a systemic failure,” the DGCA said in its statement.

The watchdog said it issued a notice to airline executives and pilots and cabin crew on the flight asking them to explain within two weeks why action should not be taken against them for non-compliance with the regulations.

He did not respond to a request for comment asking for details of the measures he expected from the airline.

Air India did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters on the DGCA notice.

In 2017, India issued new standards prohibiting unruly passengers from flying for at least three months to more than two years, depending on the nature of the offence.

Air India on Thursday reported a second incident, which occurred during a Dec. 6 fight between Paris and New Delhi in which a male passenger urinated on a vacant seat and another passenger’s blanket.

Air India added that the male passenger on the Paris flight was taken into custody on arrival in Delhi but was later released by federal police after reaching an agreement with the victim and issuing a written apology. The airline said it did not file a police report out of respect for the victim’s wishes.

Top: Air India logo on a building in Mumbai in 2020. Photo by Getty Images.

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