In recent months, incidents of ‘unusual behaviour’ by passengers in mid-air flights and violations of cockpit protocols by airline officials, including pilots, have raised significant concerns. These disturbing incidents underscore the need for better safety measures and stricter enforcement of regulations within the aviation industry. One such incident took place in June when a male passenger on a Mumbai-Delhi Air India flight allegedly startled fellow passengers and crew members by defecating and urinating inside the aircraft.
According to the FIR accessed by IANS, the passenger sitting on seat no is Ram Singh. 17F defecated, urinated and spit on the plane at row-9 on Air India flight AIC 866 from Mumbai to Delhi on June 24. Singh is a resident of Tehri Garhwal in Uttarakhand. “This misbehavior was noticed by the cabin crew of the flight and subsequently a verbal warning was issued and the passenger was separated from the surrounding passengers,” the FIR states.
“The situation was immediately informed to me, Captain Varun Sansare, the pilot-in-command. An immediate message was sent to the company, requesting security assistance on passenger arrival. The incident caused outrage among many other passengers spread. aboard the aircraft,” read the complaint filed by the flight captain.
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The FIR further stated, “Air India’s Security Chief Rajendra Kumar Meena took note of the situation and personally took care of the passenger. Thereafter, the details of the incident were reported to the local police station near IGI Airport T-3 in New Delhi.” assigned to.” Reading.
A senior police officer said that based on the complaint of the flight captain, the Delhi Police has registered a case under sections 294 and 510 at the IGI police station. “The accused passenger has been arrested and later produced before the court, where bail was granted. Investigation is on to gather further information and evidence in the matter,” the official said.
On November 26 last year, despite holding a high-profile position in a US-based company and enjoying the privileges of traveling in business class, a 34-year-old man named Shankar Mishra allegedly committed a shocking act when he got drunk. Had been. Liquor on Air India flight from New York to New Delhi. Mishra allegedly openly urinated on a seventy-year-old woman who was a passenger on the same flight, disregarding the dignity and respect expected in such a situation.
Acting on the incident, Air India on 20 January imposed a four-month flying ban on Mishra. “The independent three-member internal committee headed by former District Judge has concluded that Shankar Mishra falls under the definition of ‘unruly passenger’ and is prohibited from flying for a period of 4 months as per the relevant provisions of the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) have been banned,” an Air India spokesperson had said in a statement.
Following the incident, Air India reviewed its alcohol service policy, saying that cabin crew should focus on identifying guests who may be consuming their own alcohol. It also states that cabin crew should treat passengers with courtesy, and as per the new policy, should not call guests ‘drunk’ or coax them for ‘one last drink’ if they have had enough. Do not want.
As a result of the incident, Air India has undertaken a thorough review of its alcohol service policy. As per the new policy, the cabin crew have been instructed to be vigilant in identifying passengers who are themselves consuming alcohol. Additionally, the airline emphasizes that cabin crew members should maintain polite behavior when interacting with passengers, refrain from labeling them as ‘drunk’ and if they have already reached their limit any attempt to persuade them to take further drinks should be avoided.
On 20 January, the aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) took disciplinary action against Air India following an incident of passenger misbehavior and imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Air India and suspended the license of the pilot-in. Flight command. In addition, a fine of Rs 3 lakh was imposed on the director of in-flight services of Air India for alleged failure to fulfill his duties. DGCA came to know about the incident on January 4, 2023 and subsequently took appropriate steps to address the matter.
On May 8, the Supreme Court agreed to consider Shankar Mishra’s plea in the Air India urination case, seeking a direction to the DGCA and airline companies to frame rules to deal with incidents of misbehavior by passengers in aircraft Went. The petition also stresses on a clear zero-tolerance policy with regard to “unruly/disruptive behaviour”, which may mandate reporting of the same to law enforcement, failing which action will be taken against the airlines in all cases.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and comprising justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala issued notices to the Centre, DGCA and all airlines including Air India. The bench sought the assistance of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was present in the matter, to prepare the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and listed the matter for further hearing in July.
However, when we talk about the cabin crew and pilots, there have been instances where passengers have been put at risk. In May, the DGCA suspended the license of an Air India pilot for three months. The suspension came after the pilot allowed a female friend to enter the cockpit mid-air during a flight from Dubai to Delhi.
The aviation regulator had also imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Air India for failing to address the safety-sensitive issue in a prompt and effective manner. Additionally, the co-pilot has been cautioned for not being assertive enough to prevent unauthorized entry.
An Air India pilot was under investigation for violating safety norms by allowing a friend to enter the cockpit during a Dubai-Delhi flight on February 27. Pilot on Dubai-Delhi flight allegedly entertained a female friend in the cockpit, in violation of DGCA safety norms. ,