Air India bans inebriated passenger for indecent act
Air India on Wednesday issued a 30-day travel ban on a man who allegedly urinated on an elderly woman travelling in business class on a flight from New York to Delhi in November 2022.
The airline, in an official statement, said that they have taken very serious note of the incident that has caused extreme distress to the passenger.
"A police complaint has already been lodged, and Air India is committed to assisting the law enforcement agencies as well as regulatory authorities to ensure that justice is delivered," the Air India spokesperson said, adding that they have reported the matter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for further action.
As a first step, Air India has banned the passenger for 30 days, the maximum it is permitted to.
"We have also constituted an internal committee to probe lapses on the part of Air India's crew and address the deficiencies that delayed quick redressal of the situation. We are also in regular contact with the aggrieved passenger and her family during the investigation and reporting process," he added.
FIR lodged
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police also registered the FIR under sections 354, 509, 510 of the Indian Penal Code and 23 of the Indian Aircraft Act against the man.
In a letter to the chairman of the board of Tata and Sons, the victim called the flight experience extremely traumatic and expressed deep disappointment over the incident that took place.
The woman said the incident happened shortly after lunch was served and the lights were switched off, as she was getting ready to sleep.
Within minutes, the drunk passenger walked to her seat and unzipped his pants, relieved himself, and continued to expose his private parts until another passenger asked him to return to his seat.
The incident reportedly took place on November 26.
The DGCA on Wednesday said that it has sought a report of the incident from the airline and said “action will be taken against those negligent”.
The woman passenger also said in the letter that when asked for a change of seat, the airline refused and informed there were no seats available. She also complained of being allotted a small seat used by the airline staff by one of the senior stewardesses.
The woman passenger was later given the steward's seat, where she sat for the remaining journey of about five hours.
“I subsequently learned from a fellow passenger that several seats were available in First Class and he suggested to the crew that I be moved into one of those rather than being forced to sit in a soiled seat,” the complaint letter added as the female passenger called the Air India crew deeply unprofessional.
In the letter, the woman passenger stated that the crew was not proactive in managing a very sensitive and traumatic situation and she had to advocate for herself throughout, waiting for long periods of time to get a response.