DGCA advises airlines to use 'restraining devices' on unruly passengers
"The reputation of air travel among various societal groups was tarnished due to airline's inaction, inappropriate response, or omission to deal with such incidents. Laws will be strictly enforced and any violations will be prosecuted," said DGCA.
FollowThe Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Friday that the airline staff would face disciplinary action if they fail to act against passengers who are unruly or misbehave, following widespread outrage over a passenger urinating incident on an Air India flight.
If 'verbal communication' fails to resolve the situation, use 'restraining devices on unruly passengers when all conciliatory approaches have been exhausted,' the aviation regulator stressed, listing measures that flight crew must take during such encounters.
"Recently, the DGCA has observed a few incidents of unruly behaviour and inappropriate conduct by passengers on board the aircraft during flight," it said. "The post holders, pilots, and cabin crew members have failed to take appropriate actions."
"The reputation of air travel among various societal groups was tarnished due to airline's inaction, inappropriate response, or omission to deal with such incidents. Laws will be strictly enforced and any violations will be prosecuted," added DGCA.
The aviation regulator added that the pilot in command is responsible for assessing a situation and relaying information to the airline's ground control for further action.
The document added that after landing, the airline representative shall file an FIR with the relevant security agency at the airport, to whom the 'unruly passenger' shall be handed over.
The chief of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), Swati Maliwal, demanded the arrest of both the drunken men who allegedly urinated on female passengers on board Air India flights on multiple occasions and said that she is filing complaints with the Delhi police, the aviation watchdog the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the airline over the matter, on Friday.
"It's shocking that the accused have not yet been taken into custody. Simply banning the person is not sufficient. I've sent notices to the Delhi Police, DGCA, and Air India over this matter," Maliwal said, calling the situation 'disgusting' and 'shameful.'
On November 26, shortly after the meal service, a man aboard an Air India (AI 102) flight from New York to Delhi allegedly urinated on an elderly woman. In another similar incident on December 6, an 'inebriated' male passenger allegedly urinated on a female co-passenger on a Paris-bound Air India flight.
The DGCA has taken cognizance of the two incidents and issued show cause notices to Air India, asking, 'Why they shouldn't be punished for their 'dereliction of duty' in handling the November 26 'urination' incident.' The aviation regulator has directed Air India's Accountable Manager, director of in-flight services, and all pilots and cabin crew members on that flight to submit a response within two weeks over the issue, citing the Tata group-owned airline's way of handling the situation as 'unprofessional.'
Also read: Air India 'urination' incident: Accused Shankar Mishra changing locations to evade arrest
Also read: 'Report any unruly behaviour, even if...': Air India CEO Campbell Wilson tells staff
