Air India imposes 2 year flying ban on individual for unruly behaviour

Air India has 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, a source said on Friday.

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

The source on Friday said that an internal committee set up by Air India with respect to the incident unanimously decided that the individual does not deserve a lenient view and banned him from flying with the airline for a period of two years.

The individual's behaviour was classified as Level 3 category offence, the source added.

There was no immediate comment from Air India.

Regulations of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) provide for classifying unruly passenger behaviour into three levels and such people can face flying ban for varying periods.

Unruly behaviour such as physical gestures, verbal harassment and unruly inebriation are classified as Level 1 while physically abusive behaviour like pushing, kicking or sexual harassment are classified as Level 2.

Life threatening behaviour such as damage to aircraft operating systems, physical violence like choking and murderous assault are considered as Level 3.

Depending on the level of unruly behaviour, an internal committee set up by the airline concerned can decide on the duration for which an unruly passenger can be banned from flying.

Citing the complaint by Air India's cabin crew supervisor, the Delhi Police, on April 10, said that after one hour of flight, the unruly passenger was seen trying to open a door of the aircraft.

"She along with her colleague tried to stop him but he threatened to hit us and used unparliamentary language. After that he became violent and hit her on her neck very hard and she fell on the floor. After that he pulled her hair and then hit the other crew member on her face.

"After that he was restrained with the help of other crew members and passengers," the Delhi Police said in a statement on April 10.

Following the incident, Air India's Delhi-London flight had returned to the national capital around three hours after departure and the unruly passenger was deboarded.