Amid instances of unruly behaviour by some passengers on flights, aviation regulator DGCA on Monday issued an advisory to airlines saying such incidents have the potential of compromising the safety of aircraft operations.
The aviation regulator has advised the heads of operations of all airlines to sensitise their pilots, cabin crew and post holders on handling of unruly passengers through appropriate means.
Air India flight AI 111 scheduled to operate from Delhi to London on Monday returned to Delhi shortly after departure due to “serious unruly behaviour” of a passenger on board. An FIR was lodged as the accused person allegedly misbehaved and caused physical harm to two of the cabin crew members.
The advisory issued on Monday said that there are provisions under the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) for action to be taken by the airline to deal with unruly passengers and the responsibilities of pilots, cabin crew members and the director of inflight services are also mentioned in the CAR, according to a report by IANS.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has noticed a few incidents such as smoking in aircraft, consumption of alcoholic beverages resulting in unruly behaviour, altercations between passengers and sometimes inappropriate touching or sexual harassment by the passengers onboard an aircraft during the flight, wherein post holders, pilots and cabin crew members have failed to take appropriate actions.
Air lines shall categorise all such unruly passenger behaviour into three levels and such people can face a flying ban for varying periods.
These Levels are:
- Level 1: Unruly behaviour such as physical gestures, verbal harassment and unruly inebriation.
- Level 2: Physically abusive behaviour like pushing, kicking or sexual harassment.
- Level 3: Life threatening behaviour such as damage to aircraft operating systems, physical violence like choking and murderous assault.
Who Will Decide Ban on Flying?
An internal committee set up by the airline concerned can decide on the duration for which an unruly passenger can be banned from flying.
Airlines have witnessed many such incidents of unruly behaviour by some air passengers in the last few months.
Last week, in an incident of unruly behavior by an air-passenger, a drunk flyer on board an Indigo flight from Delhi to Bengaluru tried to open the flap of the emergency doors.
Subsequently, the matter was reported to the concerned agencies and appropriate action was initiated.
What Makes Such Flyers Tick?
Incidents of disruptive behaviour on flights has been seen around the world.
After one of its flight attendants was assaulted, Southwest Airlines suspended alcohol sales on its flights until at least January 2022. American Airlines has implemented similar measures in its main cabin. In an effort to stem the tide of violent passenger incidents, the FAA implemented a zero-tolerance policy. Passengers who engage in disruptive behaviour may face fines of up to $37,000 per violation, a report by CNBC said.
Addressing this very question that we now ask, Maia Szalavitz wrote for the Guardian that modern air travel was a prime example of a situation in which human status is highly visible: it can be seen in everything from how the wealthy can pay to bypass security lines to how everyone else must wait while those with “earned status” board first. Then there’s the long walk through the plush first-class cabin to a claustrophobic middle seat in “torture class” at the back.
Citing a study study of air rage and class published in 2021, the report said economy passengers feel the most rage when they walk through first class because it reminds them of their inferiority. However, first-class passengers were not any calmer: those who were subjected to the humiliation of having the unwashed walk through their space rather than boarding out of sight through a middle door were even angrier. Read more on studies regarding air rage
With inputs from IANS
Read all the Latest Explainers here
Comments
0 comment