On Monday, May 29, a passenger on Air India flight 882 (Goa to Delhi) allegedly misbehaved with the crew. The passenger hit one of the crew members physically and hurled insults at them.
“A passenger on our flight AI882 on May 29, 2023 behaved in an unruly manner. The said passenger verbally abused the crew members and then went on to physically assault one of them on board,” said an Air India spokesperson.
The airline claimed the passenger continued his “unprovoked” and “aggressive behaviour” even after landing at Delhi airport.
“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.
In the statement, the Air India spokesperson said, “Safety of our crew and passengers is of utmost importance to us, and we strongly condemn this unruly behaviour of the passenger. We will offer all support to the affected crew members.”
In accordance with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) regulations, an unruly passenger may experience a flying ban for varying lengths of time.
Physically abusive behaviour such as pushing, kicking, or sexual harassment is classified as Level 2, while unruly behaviour such as physical gestures, verbal abuse, and uncontrollable intoxication are classified as Level 1.
Level 3 behaviour includes life-threatening actions like murderous assault, choking, and damage to an aircraft’s operating systems.