Explained: What Is No Fly List? How Much Penalty Gets Slapped On Unruly Passengers?

Recently, video of an IndiGo passenger assaulting a pilot for flight delay had gone viral. The unruly behavior of the passenger makes him a prime candidate of the ¡®no fly list¡¯. Do you ever wonder what happens when one is put under it? Not many know but Hundreds of airline passengers in India have in recent years been put on ¡®no fly list¡¯.

So what does it mean? What are its consequences? Is it only a ban or a penalty too? Let us simplify and explain it to you.

What It Means To Be Put On An Airline's No Fly List?

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No Fly List is an initiative by the Indian government to identify disruptive passengers and ban them from boarding flights either temporarily or even permanently. The no fly list is aimed to ensure safety and check unruly and disruptive behaviour of passengers on the aircraft. The no-fly list is compiled and maintained by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)

Generally, passengers who engage in unruly physical gestures, verbal harassment, unruly inebriation, physically abusive behaviour, or any life-threatening action on board an aircraft get placed on the no fly list. A passenger on the no fly list is banned from flying in that airline's aircraft for a particular duration, such as six months or one year. In some cases, the ban can be a longer or even a permanent one.

Comedian Kunal Kamra Was One Of The Most Prominent Cases Of The 'No Fly' List

One such prominent case was in the year 2020, when comedian Kunal Kamra was banned by four airlines in India ¡ª IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India and GoAir after he allegedly heckled news anchor Arnab Goswami on an IndiGo flight.

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Also Read: Explained: How Do Airlines Calculate Your Flight Cost?

How Much Penalty Is Slapped On Airlines & Passengers?

While many instances wherein passengers were put on no fly list have been restricted to only bans, sometimes the involved airline and passengers have been fined in lakhs of rupees.

For an incident in AI-102 flight, New York to New Delhi, dated November 26, 2022, a financial penalty of Rs 30 lakh was imposed on Air India. Also, a financial penalty of Rs 3 lakh was imposed on Director Flight services of Air India.

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Earlier in 2017, a businessman on a Jet Airways Mumbai-Delhi flight was put on the no-fly list for leaving a warning note in the restroom that there were hijackers and explosives on board. The flight made an emergency landing and the man was put on no fly list. A special NIA court had then sent him to prison for life and fined him Rs 5 crore. However, in 2023, the Gujarat High Court acquitted the passenger, and dubbed the case as bizarre.

In January 2023, The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) levied a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Air India for not timely reporting two unruly passengers on a Paris-Delhi flight.

Also Read: How Much Compensation Are You Entitled To Get In Case Of Flight Gets Delayed

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