Now, DGCA seeks answers from Air India over Paris flight as drunk, smoking passenger incident surfaces

The two incidents were reported onboard Flight AI-142 from Paris to New Delhi on December 6, 2022

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on January 9 sent a notice to Air India over the two recent incidents reported onboard Flight AI-142 from Paris to New Delhi on December 6, 2022.

On the said flight, a man had urinated on an elderly woman’s blanket while she was away at the lavatory. It has been learned that another man on the same flight had broken civil aviation rules and smoked inside the toilet of the Paris-Delhi flight; he was in an inebriated condition.

The DGCA said in the notice to the airline over Air India flight incidents: “One passenger caught smoking in the lavatory, was drunk and not listening to the crew. Another passenger allegedly relieved himself on a vacant seat and blanket of a fellow female passenger when she went to the lavatory.”

It pointed out that Air India didn’t report the incidents of passenger misbehaviour until the DGCA sought a report from them on January 5. Based on the reply submitted by Air India via email on January 6, “prima facie it emerges that provisions related to the handling of unruly passengers as per DGCA CAR Section -3, Series-M, Part-VI have not been complied with”, the DGCA said, adding that the “response of the airline has been lackadaisical and delayed”.

Also read: Second mid-air 'peeing' incident: Man urinates on woman's blanket on Air India Paris-Delhi flight

In view of the Paris-New Delhi flight incidents, the DGCA has issued a show cause notice to the accountable manager of Air India as to why enforcement action should not be taken against them for the dereliction of their regulatory obligations. Air India has two weeks-time to submit its reply to the aviation regulator, based on which further action will be taken.

As per civil aviation requirements (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 concerned airline must inform the DGCA within 12 hours of the landing of the aircraft in case of any of the above-mentioned incidents.

The airline is also supposed to report the incident to the internal committee constituting a retired district & session judge as chairman, a representative from a different scheduled airline as a member, and a representative from a passengers association or consumer association or retired officer of consumer dispute redressal forum as a member.

The internal committee decides the duration of the ban for flying the unruly passenger within 30 days and it can extend from zero-day to a lifetime ban. During the pendency of the decision by the committee, the airline is allowed to ban such passengers from flying for a period not exceeding 30 days.

After a decision has been taken by the committee, the airline is expected to maintain a database of all such unruly passengers and inform the same to DGCA who is the custodian for maintaining the “No-Fly List”.