The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a financial penalty of Rs 30 lakh on Air India over the incident in which a man identified as Shankar Mishra relieved himself on a co-passenger in an inebriated state.
The incident happened on an Air India New York-New Delhi flight on November 26 last year.
The license of the flight commander (pilot in command) was suspended for three months for failing to discharge his duties. The DGCA also imposed a financial penalty of Rs 3 lakh on Director-in-Flight Services of the Air India.
"DGCA issued Show Cause notices to Accountable Manager of Air India, Director in-flight Services of 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. The written reply of Air India and the personnel involved were examined," the DGCA statement said.
Mishra, an inebriated passenger, had allegedly urinated on an elderly woman passenger seated in business class. After the flight landed, the passenger walked away scot-free.
The pilots didn't inform the security personnel on ground, nor did the crew file a police complaint. The airline didn't inform DGCA about the incident.
The DGCA in a statement issued today said, “The incident of passenger misbehaviour which occurred on AI-102 flight of November 26, 2022, from New York to New Delhi, came to the notice of DGCA on January 4, 2023, wherein a male passenger conducted himself in a disorderly manner and allegedly relieved himself on a female passenger. DGCA issued show cause notices to the accountable manager of Air India; director in-flight services of AI, 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. The written reply of Air India and the personnel involved were examined.”
