Air India fined Rs 30 lakhs on its failure to tackle an unruly passenger

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a fine of Rs  30 lakh on Air India and suspended its pilot-in-command for three months for failing to discharge his duties as per rules.

The incident refers to a male passenger allegedly urinating on a female passenger on board Air India flight AI-102 flight on November 26 from New York to Delhi. However, the aviation regulator said that they were informed of the incident only after media reports highlighted the matter. 

Air India filed a first information report (FIR) and reported the matter to the DGCA on January 4 whereas, it received the complaint from the woman passenger on November 27.

Issuing show cause notices to the accountable manager of Air India, the director of in-flight services of Air India, and all the pilots and cabin crew members of the flight, the DGCA asked: “...as to why enforcement action should not be taken against them for dereliction of their regulatory obligations.”

DCGA officials said that they were unsatisfied with Air India’s written reply that was submitted to them Air India submitted an internal report in connection with the urination case.

Based on Air India’s reply to DGCA, the aviation regulator imposed a financial penalty of Rs 30 lakh for violation of applicable DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR). It has also suspended the license of the pilot-in-command of the said flight for three months for failing to discharge his duties as per Rule 141 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937 and applicable DGCA CAR.

It further imposed a financial penalty of Rs Three lakh on the Director-in-flight services of Air India for failing to discharge her duties as per applicable DGCA CAR.