Unruly passenger on Air India flight abuses crew, assaults one; handed over to CISF at Delhi airport

A passenger on board an Air India flight AI882 on May 29 to Delhi was handed over to security personnel for his unruly behaviour, the airline said on Tuesday.

As per the statement released by Air India, the passenger verbally abused the crew members and then went on to physically assault one of them on board.

"The said passenger verbally abused the crew members and then went on to physically assault one of them on board," an Air India spokesperson said.

"Unprovoked, aggressive behaviour"

"On landing at Delhi airport, the passenger continued with the unprovoked, aggressive behaviour and was handed over to the security personnel. We have also reported the incident to the regulator," the spokesperson added further.

This incident comes on the heels of a similar incident of misbehavior by a passenger reported on April 10.

What happened on April 10?

India imposed a two-year flying ban on an individual who caused physical harm to two female cabin crew members onboard a Delhi-London flight on April 10.

In a quick response, the Delhi Police had filed a case against the passenger, identified as 25-year-old Jaskirat Singh Padda from Punjab after a complaint filed by Air India's cabin crew supervisor.

DGCA's norms on unruly behavior by passenger

The regulations set forth by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) establish a classification system for dealing with unruly passenger behavior, encompassing three distinct levels.

Individuals displaying such behavior may face a ban on flying for varying durations.

Level 1 incidents involve unruly conduct such as physical gestures, verbal harassment, and disruptive intoxication.

Level 2 incidents entail physically abusive actions such as pushing, kicking, or engaging in sexual harassment.

Level 3 incidents encompass life-threatening behavior, including causing damage to aircraft operating systems, engaging in physical violence such as choking, or perpetrating murderous assaults.

The airline responsible for the flight in question establishes an internal committee to evaluate the severity of the unruly behavior and determine the appropriate duration for which the passenger should be banned from flying.