[India] - Peegate: DGCA slaps Rs 30 lakh fine on Air India

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
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