'Unruly' Passenger Abuses, Physically Assaults Air India Crew On Board Delhi-bound Flight

An unruly passenger was handed over to security personnel after verbally abusing and physically assaulting a crew member on board Air India flight AI882 from Goa to Delhi on May 29, the airline said in a statement on Tuesday.

“A passenger on our flight AI882 on May 29 behaved in an unruly manner. The said passenger verbally abused the crew members and then went on to physically assault one of them on board,” an Air India spokesperson said.

“On landing at Delhi airport, the passenger continued with the unprovoked, aggressive behaviour and was handed over to the security personnel,” it said, adding the incident has been reported to the regulator.

Air India reiterated that “Safety of our crew and passengers is of utmost importance”. “We strongly condemn this unruly behaviour of the passenger. We will offer all support to the affected crew members,” the spokesperson said.

Addressing the recent incident, Air India chief Campbell Wilson said that unruly passengers pose a pervasive issue in the international aviation industry and that such incidents persist. “As an airline, we needed to and have taken a firm line on unruly behavior onboard aircraft… there is a level of behavior that we expect from people when they fly. Also, imparting that same message to the crew when supporting them,” he told PTI.

While emphasising that Air India has become more proactive in addressing unruly behavior and taking appropriate action, Wilson admitted, “Unfortunately, the incidents (of unruly behavior) continue to happen.” He further added, “When they happen, we take action and hopefully in the process, we remind people of what the standard is and we remind people of consequences when the standard is not met.” Wilson also acknowledged that dealing with such issues is a constant reality for every airline.

The incident comes a month after Air India de boarded an unruly male passenger who caused physical harm to two cabin crew members onboard a Delhi-London flight. The passenger was handed over to the security personnel after the flight AI 111 landed at the Delhi airport and an FIR was lodged.

Following the incident, DGCA has released an advisory to all airlines, emphasizing the existing provisions to tackle such situations. The advisory reiterates the guidelines outlined in the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) for handling unruly passengers.

In the advisory, the DGCA has urged the heads of operations of all airlines to sensitize their pilots, cabin crew, and post holders on effective methods to handle unruly passengers. The recommended measures include implementing training programs to ensure the monitoring of good order and discipline on board aircraft, thereby safeguarding the safety of flight operations.

Under DGCA regulations, unruly passenger behavior is classified into three levels, each corresponding to specific actions and consequences. Level 1 encompasses unruly behavior such as physical gestures, verbal harassment, and disorderly intoxication. Level 2 includes physically abusive behavior like pushing, kicking, or sexual harassment. Level 3 pertains to life-threatening conduct such as damaging aircraft systems, physical violence like choking, or attempting murder.

Based on the severity of the unruly behavior, an internal committee established by the airline in question will determine the duration of the flying ban imposed on the unruly passenger.