DGCA issues show cause notice to Air India for not reporting incidents of unruly flyers

The DGCA said that the airline is responsible for informing the DGCA within 12 hours of landing in case of any incident of unruly passengers, passenger rage or passenger misconduct.

New Delhi, Jan 09: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday pulled up Air India for two incidents of passenger misbehaviour onboard a flight from Paris to New Delhi last month.

"Air India didn't report the incident until DGCA sought the incident report from them on 05.01.2023. After perusal of the reply submitted by Air India through email dated 06.01.2023, prima facie it emerges that provisions related to handling of an unruly passenger... have not been complied with. It has been noted that the response of the airline has been lackadaisical and delayed," the regulator said in a statement.

"However, to follow the principles of natural justice, they have been given two weeks time to submit their reply to DGCA and based on that further action will be taken," the statement said.

In one incident, a drunk passenger was caught smoking in the lavatory and was not listening to the crew. In the second incident, another passenger allegedly relieved himself on a vacant seat and blanket of fellow female passenger when she went to lavatory, according to DGCA.

Both incidents happened on the Paris-New Delhi flight on December 6, 2022.

The DGCA said that the airline is responsible for informing the DGCA within 12 hours of landing in case of any incident of unruly passengers, passenger rage or passenger misconduct.

DGCA also said that the airline shall also refer the incident to the internal committee to decide the duration of the ban for flying the unruly passenger within 30 days. The ban can be extended from zero days to a lifetime, it added.