'Use Restraining Devices Or Lodge An FIR': DGCA To Airlines On Handling Unruly Passengers

Following considerable outrage over a passenger urinating on another on a recent Air India flight, the country's aviation regulator said on Friday that airline staff would face a penalty if they failed to act against passengers who were unruly or behaved inappropriately.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) outlined procedures for dealing with unruly passengers, including using restraint devices "when all conciliatory approaches have been exhausted."

Devices like this, which might appear like handcuffs or belts, are typically stored in the cabin. The agency makes recommendations based on optimized parameters and recommended manufacturers.

"In the recent past, DGCA has noticed a few incidents of unruly behavior and inappropriate conduct by the passengers on board the aircraft during flight, wherein it is observed that post holders, pilots, and cabin crew members have failed to take appropriate actions," it said.

"Non-action/ inappropriate action/ omission by the airlines towards such untoward incidents has tarnished the image of air travel in different segments of society... Any non-compliance towards applicable regulations shall be dealt with strictly and invite enforcement action," the DGCA added.

According to the aviation authorities, the pilot must examine any situation and report his thoughts on the matter to the ground control unit of the airline.

"Upon the landing of the aircraft, the airline representative shall lodge FIR with the concerned security agency at the aerodrome, to whom the unruly passenger shall be handed over," it said.

This comes amid recent accusations against Air India for mishandling an incident last November where a business class passenger from New York to Delhi unzipped and peed on an elderly female passenger.

After the plane landed, the man, later revealed to be Shankar Mishra, was shockingly allowed to leave.

This week, after the woman's letter to Air India group chairman N Chandrasekaran, went public, the airline finally filed a police report.

The woman stated the crew didn't offer her a new seat and sat across from the inebriated man as he apologized and begged not to be arrested.

Unsplash

After receiving complaints, the airline banned the guy for 30 days and stated that they did not call the police because "there was no further flare-up or confrontation" and "respecting the perceived wishes of the female passenger, the crew elected not to summon law enforcement upon landing".

The DGCA expressed its strong displeasure with Air India's actions, alleging the airline's conduct was "unprofessional" and led to "systemic failure."

It has demanded a response from the airline, owned by the Tata Group, the plane's captain, and the passengers.

PTI reports that ten days after the initial incident on November 26, an intoxicated male passenger on a Paris-Delhi aircraft urinated on a female passenger's blanket. Still, nothing was done when the man apologized in writing, as reported by the news agency.

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