Delhi: A shocking incident occurred on an IndiGo flight when a passenger physically assaulted the pilot. The video of the assault has gone viral on social media. The passenger was reportedly annoyed after a 13-hour flight delay and hence charged towards the flight pilot in rage, further launching punches at him.
Viral Video Shows Violent Assault
In the viral video, one can see the assailant, wearing a yellow hoodie, who rushed from the last row and attacked the pilot. The cabin crew standing nearby immediately came for the pilot's rescue making efforts to stop the assault. Within moments, another passenger came to calm down the assailant and took him away from the scene.
The IndiGo flight in the video was reportedly equipped with a new pilot and crew, who had replaced the previous crew due to Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) after prolonged delays.
About FDTL Regulations
FDTL regulations, overseen by the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), play a crucial role in ensuring the well-being of pilots and flight attendants. These regulations mandate adequate rest periods to mitigate fatigue-related safety concerns.
Shiv Sena UBT MP Priyanka Chaturvedi shared the viral video on her social media account and condemned the attack. Expressing her anguish over the incident, Chaturvedi captioned the video post, "This is absolutely uncalled for, one can understand the frustration of long wait, delays, bad service, roster duty changes. But no you can’t hit the crew. It isn’t their fault alone!"
Further, she lashed out at the DGCA and the Ministry of Civil Aviation for not holding airlines accountable over such incidents involving long flight delays. She also tagged Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia seeking his attention over the shameful incident on the flight.
"More importantly, all of this could have been avoided only if we had @DGCAIndia , @MoCA_GoI doing their job, seeking accountability from airlines. But no. Will @JM_Scindia ji take cognisance? Yes we need airports but before that we need airlines that are professional! Crying shame that we are reduced to this," she added.
Delhi Police To Take Legal Action
Delhi Police swiftly took cognisance of the viral video. We will take appropriate legal action against the accused," said the police in a statement to ANI. IndiGo has reportedly filed a complaint against the passenger and the process of filing the case is underway. "We received a complaint and are taking appropriate legal action," informed DCP, Indira Gandhi International Airport to news agency ANI.
Assailant Identified
The aviation security agency has started an investigation regarding the viral video in which a passenger punched the pilot when an IndiGo flight (6E-2175) from Delhi to Goa was delayed due to fog. The passenger hit the pilot while the pilot was announcing flight delays yesterday at around 1PM. The passenger's name is Sahil Kataraia seated on 28F and the captain's name is Anup Kumar. The passenger was soon deplaned and detained by the CISF at the airport.
Flight Disruptions Due To Adverse Weather
The assault comes amid major disruptions at the Delhi airport due to dense fog conditions. Nearly 110 flights experienced delays and 79 flights were cancelled until today morning, leading to an average delay of 50 minutes, as per reports.
The aviation industry faces ongoing challenges at the Delhi airport, escalated by adverse weather conditions, including dense fog in North India. Yesterday witnessed severe delays, some exceeding seven or eight hours, affecting flights arriving at and departing from the Delhi airport. Airlines such as IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Vistara have cautioned passengers about the potential impact of persistent bad weather in Delhi and Kolkata on flight schedules.
