Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal has written to DGCA, Vikram Dev Dutt, requesting him to amend the existing guidelines to prevent sexual harassment and unruly behavior against women passengers in flights. The DCW took cognizance of increasing incidents of unruly behavior on flights, especially incidents of drunken male passengers urinating on female passengers in the recent past. In a letter to the new DGCA, the DCW chief has asked for amendments in the existing guidelines to deal with unruly behavior of passengers at airports and flights strictly and swiftly.
The DCW’s letter states that “the commission has drafted detailed recommendations on amendments that should be made in the extant guidelines so that cases of sexual harassment and unruly behavior on flights and airports are dealt with strictly.” The DCW chief requested him to consider it and provide an action taken report within 30 days.
The Delhi Commission for Women has sent important suggestions to the DGCA to prevent drunken passengers urinating on female co-passengers in flight and many more such incidents. pic.twitter.com/MudzJVidOG— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) March 15, 2023
The DCW chief cited two specific incidents of harassment and misbehavior by passengers on two flights, one on November 26, 2022 in which a man allegedly urinated on a 70-year-old woman on an Air India flight from New York to New Delhi and the second on 6 November. December, 2022 in which a man again urinated on the seat of his fellow female passenger on an Air India flight from Paris to New Delhi.
In both the cases, it is reported that both these persons were in a state of extreme intoxication and the airline failed to report the incidents to the DGCA. The Commission took suo motu cognizance of these incidents and issued a notice to DGCA seeking details of the action taken by them in the above incidents as well as the guidelines issued by the body to airlines to deal with such cases.
The DCW found the steps taken by the DGCA unsatisfactory, stating that “the recently issued advisory only draws the attention of pilots and crew members to their specific duties as defined under the extant laws and guidelines and airlines fails to direct the Government to take concrete steps.” prevent the occurrence of similar cases in the future.”
Following the same, the DCW has recommended a multi point guidelines for amendment of the existing rules. In one such guideline, the DCW has recommended ‘limiting alcohol consumption in flights’. “An order should be issued to all airlines that alcohol can be served to one person in flight in business and economy class. This will help prevent people from becoming seriously intoxicated in flight,” the recommendation said.
Another suggestion talks about the use of restraining devices, “CAR guidelines permit the use of restraining devices on unruly passengers in certain cases. An SOP should be developed for this through which the crew can screen persons engaged in sexual activity.” may consider using restraining devices against. Harassment/aggressive behavior/acting in a highly intoxicated state if no other means work to deter him.”