AI Paris-New Delhi flight incidents: DGCA issues show cause notice to airline

Aviation regulator DGCA on Monday said it has issued a show cause notice to Air India regarding two incidents of passenger misbehaviour onboard a flight from Paris to New Delhi last month.

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 a fellow female passenger when she went to lavatory, according to DGCA.

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

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"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.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (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 dereliction of their regulatory obligations.

"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.

Under DGCA rules, the airline concerned is responsible for informing the regulator within 12 hours of landing of the aircraft in case of any incident of unruly passengers/ passenger rage/passenger misconduct reported in their flight, the statement added.

Besides, the airline concerned has to set up a three-member internal committee. It will have 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 the third member.

The committee can decide the duration of flying ban on the unruly passenger within 30 days and there could be a life time ban.

During the pendency of the decision by the committee, the airline concerned may ban such unruly passenger from flying for a period of up to 30 days, as per the rules.

After the committee takes the decision, the airline should maintain a database of all such unruly passengers and inform the same to DGCA, which is the custodian for maintaining the 'no-fly list'.