New Delhi: After Air India banned a passenger for 30 days for urinating on a female co-passenger on board flight, experts said that the airline's action is unfair and discriminatory.
Aviation expert Harshvardhan said:
"This is unfair and discriminatory. There has to be equity in the treatment of such grave misconduct."
Earlier, Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra questioned the DGCA after Air India decided to impose a 30-day flight ban on a man accused of urinating on a co-passenger.
She cited a previous incident in which comedian Kunal Kamra received a six-month flight ban from a number of airlines for "heckling" a senior journalist.
Moitra said on Twitter that she was "confused" how DGCA worked.
She wondered why Kamra got a six-month ban for "questioning" a co-passenger and another man who urinated on a co-passenger got a 30-day ban.
"Bit confused as to how DGCA works - Kunal Kamra got 6 month ban for questioning co-passenger but another man who pee'd on AI co-flyer gets 30 day ban. Kunal... maybe change tack next time? Clearly more is less," she reacted through her Twitter handle.
Reacting on the issue, aviation safety consultant Mohan Ranganathan said on Twitter:
"Air India covering up the idiot who peed on board, reminds me of the wonderful Ad by Kooka. Protect the offender's identity & ruin AI reputation!?"
Air India on Wednesday had said that it has reported the matter to the aviation regulator DGCA for further action.
"As a first step, Air India has banned the passenger for 30 days, the maximum it is permitted to unilaterally do so, and reported the matter to the DGCA for further action," it said.
An Air India spokesperson had said that the airline has taken a very serious view of the incident, where a passenger behaved in an unacceptable and undignified manner on the New York-Delhi flight that caused extreme distress to a fellow passenger.
"A police complaint has already been lodged and Air India is committed to assist the law enforcement agencies as well as regulatory authorities," the airline said.
Another incident of a drunk air passenger allegedly urinating on a blanket of a female passenger on an Air India flight has come out.
The incident was reported on Air India flight 142 on the Paris-Delhi sector last month but penal action was not initiated, following an apology and mutual compromise.
Sources said that the matter was reported to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport and subsequently, the male passenger was apprehended.
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The flight landed at nearly 9.40 a.m. at Delhi and the airport security was informed about the issue that the male passenger was under the influence of alcohol and he was not following the instructions of the cabin crew, and he later urinated on a blanket of an onboard woman passenger.
Sources said that the woman passenger had initially made a written complaint, however, she refused to file a police case and the passenger was allowed to go by the airport security after he cleared immigration and customs formalities.
According to sources, the male passenger was brought to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as soon as he deboarded the plane. However, he was later allowed to go after a mutual compromise between the two passengers.
With Air India keeping the incident of the Mumbai businessman urinating on the female co-passenger on board an AI New York-New Delhi flight on November 26, 2022 under wraps for many weeks, aviation experts said that any action now by the airline is too little, too late.
"Now that Delhi police has registered an FIR anything @DGCAIndia @airindiain do will be "Too little too late" a dumb move to keep under wraps after the passenger's Nov'22 complain to no Less than #Mr N Chandrasekaran,Chairman of #AirIndia also #TataSons at whom the buck stops," retired pilot, Captain Shakti Lumba said on his Twitter handle.
"Air India covering up the idiot who peed on board, reminds me of the wonderful Ad by Kooka. Protect the offender's identity & ruin AI reputation!?" aviation safety consultant Mohan Ranganathan said in a tweet.
India's aviation regulator DGCA has said that the conduct of Air India in the case was unprofessional and has led to a systemic failure.
Observing that provisions related to 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 in the matter.
The aviation regulator has noted that the incident of passenger misbehaviour with a female co-passenger was reported to it only on January 4.
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Ministry has taken a strong note of the matter and has asked the airline to conduct a detailed internal probe into the matter and submit the report.
The DGCA on Thursday issued show cause notices to senior Air India executives and pilots and cabin crew of the flight following receiving a report from the airline on the incident.
A senior DGCA official said that the incident of passenger misbehaviour which occurred on AI102 flight from New York to New Delhi on November 26, wherein a male passenger conducted himself in a disorderly manner and allegedly relieved himself on a female passenger, came to the notice of the DGCA on January 4.
For fact finding, the DGCA sought the details of the incident from Air India and on the basis of reply of the airline, prima facie it emerged that provisions related to handling of an unruly passenger on-board have not been complied with.
"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 aHandling 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.
"Accountable Manager of M/s Air India, Director in-flight Services of M/s Air India, all the pilots and cabin crew members of that flight as to why enforcement action should not be taken against them for dereliction of their regulatory obligations. However, to meet the ends of justice, they have been given two weeks time to submit their reply to the DGCA and based on that further action will be taken," said the DGCA on Thursday.
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