DGCA Pulls Up Air India For Cover-Up As Yet Another Unreported Onboard Peeing Incident Surfaces

The DGCA has issued show cause notices to senior Air India executives, pilots, and cabin crew of its flight from New York to Delhi on November 26, on which a Mumbai businessman, who was in a drunken state, urinated on a fellow passenger.

The DGCA issued the notice on Thursday after it received a report from the airline on the incident, which was unreported for more than a month.

ANI/FILE

Air India crew's conduct 'unprofessional'

The aviation regulator said that the conduct of Air India in the case was unprofessional and has led to a systemic failure.

Observing that provisions related to the handling of an unruly passenger onboard have not been complied with, it asked why enforcement action should not be taken against the airline executives concerned for dereliction of their regulatory obligations.

"The conduct of the concerned airline appears to be unprofessional and has led to a systemic failure. Prima facie, it lacks appreciation of regulatory obligations as described in applicable Aircraft Rules 1937, Civil Aviation Requirements on Handling of 'Unruly Passengers', Cabin Safety Circular, Air India Operations Manual, Air India Safety and Emergency Procedure Manual and Air India Quick Reference Handbook and is devoid of empathy," noted the regulator.

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Incident unreported for over a month

The aviation regulator has noted that the incident of passenger misbehaviour with a female co-passenger on an AI 102 flight from New York to New Delhi on November 26 was reported to it only on January 4.

Air India allegedly covered up the despicable act of the business class passenger, identified as Shekhar Mishra, a Mumbai-based businessman, for more than a month.

Only after the woman in her 70s, said to be a resident of Karnataka, wrote to Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran on December 28, Air India reported the matter to the Delhi Police.

What the woman said in her complaint

In her complaint to 'Grievance Air Sewa', the woman alleged that the Air India crew was "deeply unprofessional" and was "not proactive in managing a very sensitive and traumatic situation".

AP

The elderly woman said that she had informed the senior flight staff that she wanted the man arrested immediately by the airport police.

"They asked me if I would like to talk to the ground staff and I told them that I most certainly would. The flight staff were in the meanwhile also having discussions with the offender, who was sobering up by this time, and they came and told me that he wanted to apologize to me. I stated clearly that I did not want to interact with him or see his face, and that all I wanted was for him to be arrested on arrival," she said.

"I was stunned when he started crying and profusely apologizing to me, begging me not to lodge a complaint against him because he is a family man and did not want his wife and child to be affected by this incident. In my already distraught state, I was further disoriented by being made to confront and negotiate with the perpetrator of the horrific incident in close quarters. I told him that his actions were inexcusable, but in the face of his pleading and begging in front of me, and my own shock and trauma, I found it difficult to insist on his arrest or to press charges against him," she added.

AFP

Air India confirms another incident in December

Meanwhile, yet another alleged cover-up by the Air India crew of an onboard peeing incident has surfaced.

Air India on Thursday confirmed that a passenger on Air India Flight 142 from Paris to Delhi on December 6, 2022, "relieved himself" on the vacant seat and blanket of a fellow passenger.

Air India said in its statement that the accused passenger in December 6 incident was taken into custody by CISF personnel and he tendered a written apology.

BCCL

"Air India confirms that a passenger on Air India Flight 142 from Paris to Delhi on December 6, 2022 relieved himself on the vacant seat and blanket of a fellow passenger, when the latter was in the lavatory," the statement said.

"The crew identified and isolated the offender and reported the incident to authorities. The aircraft was met on arrival at Indira Gandhi International Airport and the passenger was taken into custody by CISF personnel.

"As the victim and the accused reached an understanding, CISF allowed the accused to leave after he tendered a written apology. In deference to the victim's wishes, Air India did not lodge a police report," the statement added.

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