NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday slapped a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Air India for the drunk-urination event onboard its flight from New York to Delhi in which the airline company violated its standards on handling unruly passenger behaviour onboard flights.
The pilot-in-commands licence has been suspended for a period of 3 months.
Mishra, an inebriated traveler, had presumably urinated on an elderly female passenger seated in service class.
After the flight landed, the traveler walked away scot-free.
The pilots didnt inform the security workers on ground, nor did the crew file a cops problem.
The airline company didnt inform DGCA about the event.
The incident emerged after TOI carried a report on January 04.
The incident of guest misbehaviour which happened on AI-102 flight of November 26, 2022, from New York to New Delhi, pertained to the notice of DGCA on January 4, 2023, wherein a male passenger performed himself in a disorderly manner and apparently relieved himself on a female guest.
DGCA provided show cause notices to the liable manager of Air India; director in-flight services of AI, all the pilots and cabin crew members of that flight regarding why enforcement action should not be taken against them for dereliction of their regulatory obligations.
The written reply of Air India and the personnel included were analyzed, DGCA stated in a statement on Friday.
Accordingly, following enforcement actions have been taken in the instantaneous case: financial penalty of Rs 30 lakh has been enforced to Air India for infraction of applicable DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements.
Licence Suspension of Pilot-In-Command of the said flight for a duration of three months (03 months) for failing to discharge his responsibilities according to Rule 141 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937 and suitable DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements.
Financial penalty of Rs.
3 lakh has actually been imposed on Director-in-flight services of Air India for stopping working to discharge her responsibilities as per suitable DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements, the statement added.Meanwhile, responding to the air travel regulators action, Air India acknowledged spaces in their reporting and said they are taking steps to resolve them.
Were also strengthening our crews awareness of - & compliance with policies on handling of occurrences involving unruly guests, Air India representative said.On Thursday, the airline company banned the unruly passenger, Shankar Mishra from boarding its flights for a period of four months.
The passenger (Mishra) has actually currently been put on the airlines No Fly List .
Air India has shared a copy of the Internal Committee report with the director general of civil air travel and will also be intimating other airline companies operating in the country, said an Air India spokesperson.The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) keeps the nationwide no-fly list, which momentarily forbids rowdy guests from boarding flights operated by all Indian providers.
Currently, Mishra is banned just from boarding Air India flights.Mishra, who was apprehended by the Delhi cops from Bengaluru on January 6, is currently in judicial custody.Air India began an internal examination after the woman passenger sent out a complaint to the airline company on November 27.
Keeping with the DGCAs Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) for dealing with unruly guests, the airline made up an Internal Committee and on December 20 enforced a 30-day travel restriction on Mishra.
It did not inform the DGCA about the occurrence.
The independent three-member Internal Committee under the chairmanship of the previous district judge has concluded that Shankar Mishra is covered under the definition of unruly passenger and is banned from flying for a duration of 4 months as per the appropriate arrangements of the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR), stated the Air India spokesperson.In December, the committee had assembled 4 meetings between senior airline company staff, the victim and her family to talk about actions being taken and the development thereof.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, in a declaration released on January 7 had actually stated that Air India lodged a cops report on December 28 after the victims family asked for that Air India lodge a police report during the meeting on 26 December.
The Delhi airport police stated that the airline did provide any details about the womans problem in its complaint.
It was just on January 4 after the TOI report that a correct FIR was submitted and the appropriate IPC sections applied.WatchAir India Urination Incident: DGCA slaps Rs 30 lakh fine on Air India; suspends pilots license for 3 months