DGCA issues show cause notice to Air India for two more incidents of unruly passengers
In case of any incident of unruly passengers, passenger rage or passenger misconduct in their flight, the airlines are responsible to inform the DGCA, within 12 hours of landing of the aircraft.
FollowThe Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday (January 9) issued a show cause notice to Air India for not reporting two incidents on Air 142 flight from Delhi to Paris on December 6, where one passenger urinated on a woman's blanket when she was in the washroom and another drunk passenger smoked near the lavatory.
In a statement, the DGCA said, "Air India didn’t report the incident until DGCA sought the incident report from them on 05.01.2023. After perusal of the reply submitted by M/s Air India through email dated 06.01.2023, prima facie it emerges that provisions related to handling of unruly passengers as per DGCA CAR Section -3, Series-M, Part-VI have not been complied with. It has been noted that the response of the airline has been lackadaisical and delayed."
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"DGCA has issued Show Cause notice to the Accountable Manager of M/s Air India as to why enforcement action should not be taken against them for dereliction of their regulatory obligations. However, to follow the principles of natural justice, they have been given two weeks time to submit their reply to DGCA and based on that further action will be taken," the statement further said.
Through its CAR Section -3, Series-M, Part-VI on "Handling of Unruly Passenger" and Cabin Safety Circular 02 of 2010 on "Unruly Passengers/Passenger Rage/Passenger Misconduct incidents reporting procedure", the DGCA has mandated reporting such incidents to them.
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In case of any incident of unruly passengers, passenger rage or passenger misconduct in their flight, the airlines are responsible to inform the DGCA, within 12 hours of landing of the aircraft.
The DGCA also said that the concerned airline should refer the incident to the internal committee constituting Retired District and Session Judge as Chairman, a representative from a different scheduled airline as Member, and representative from a passengers' association or consumer association or retired officer of Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum as member.
