Air India official allegedly assaulted by unruly passenger on flight from Sydney

The Air India senior management official was allegedly assaulted by an unruly passenger on a flight back to New Delhi from Sydney on July 9. According to an official close to the matter, the airline’s head of inflight services department, Sandeep Verma, was hit by a Delhi-based passenger, but no action was taken against him.

The Air India spokesperson informed Hindustan Times that the aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), was informed about the incident. The spokesperson stated that the passenger behaved in an unacceptable manner despite verbal and written warnings, causing distress to other passengers, including one of their employees. After the flight landed safely in Delhi, the passenger was handed over to the security agency and later apologized in writing. Air India will take a firm stand against misbehavior and pursue legal action, according to the spokesperson. However, the DGCA did not confirm whether it was informed about Verma being assaulted on board the flight.

The incident occurred when Verma, a frequent flier to Australia, booked a business class seat for his travel back to New Delhi. However, due to some seats being defunctive, he was downgraded to the economy class. Verma later moved to row 25, where he corrected a co-passenger’s behavior and had a loud voice. The passenger then slapped Verma, twisted his head, and abused him. The crew was unable to contain the unruly passenger, and the male cabin supervisor from the business class had to be called in to control the situation. The passenger received verbal and written warnings, and the situation was eventually brought under control. No restraining devices were used, and no police complaint was filed.

The incident has raised concerns about the handling of unruly passengers in the airline industry. Former airline officials criticized Air India for not taking strict action against the passenger, despite taking action against previous passengers who had apologized in writing. They believe that the airline should set examples of zero tolerance towards such matters and that this incident sends a poor message to travelers.

One unruly passenger incident for every 568 flights in 2022

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), there was one unruly passenger incident for every 568 flights in 2022, which is higher than the rate in 2021. The most common type of unruly behavior was non-compliance, verbal abuse, and intoxication. Physical abuse incidents saw a 61% increase in 2022 compared to 2021, occurring once every 17,200 flights, according to the IATA.

Procedure to deal with an unruly passenger

• Informing the pilot: Cabin crew informs the pilot and isolates the unruly passenger.
• Alerting the ground staff: The pilot informs the ground staff, and the unruly passenger is handed over to the airline’s security team after landing.
• Filing an FIR: The airline hands over the passenger to the local police and files a First Information Report (FIR).
• Forming an internal committee: The pilot files a report on the incident, and an internal committee is constituted to investigate the case.

Categories of unruly behavior and punishment

Unruly behavior is categorized into three levels:

• Level 1: Disruptive behavior (physical gestures, verbal harassment, unruly inebriation) ★Up to three months on the no-fly list.
• Level 2: Physically abusive behavior (pushing, hitting, grabbing, inappropriate touching, sexual harassment) ★Up to six months on the no-fly list.
• Level 3: Life-threatening behavior (damage to aircraft operating system, murderous assault, etc.) ★Minimum period of 2 years or more without limit on the no-fly list.

In conclusion, an Air India senior management official was allegedly assaulted by an unruly passenger on a flight from Sydney to New Delhi. The incident highlights the need for stricter action against unruly behavior in the airline industry, as incidents of such behavior have been on the rise. The International Air Transport Association reports an increase in physical abuse incidents and calls for a zero-tolerance approach towards unruly passengers. Authorities have procedures in place to handle unruly passengers, including informing the pilot, alerting ground staff, filing an FIR, and forming an internal committee to investigate the incident.

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