[India] - Peegate: Air India fined Rs 30 lakh, pilot loses licence for 3 months

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
MUMBAI: Responding to the occurrence of a guy allegedly urinating over a senior female co-passenger on an Air India New York-Delhi flight,
the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has actually slapped a fine of 30 lakh on the airline company for breaching standards in
handling the rowdy passenger.The regulator likewise suspended the pilot-in-commands licence for three months and slapped a fine of 3 lakh on
the airlines director in-flight services
Its the very first such instance in India of an airline company being fined for breaching standards when dealing with a disorderly
passenger
The occurrence of passenger wrongdoing which occurred on Air India flight on November 26, 2022 from New York to New Delhi, pertained to the
notice of DGCA on January 4 where a male traveler conducted himself in a disorderly way and supposedly relieved himself on a female guest,
said a statement provided by the DGCA
TOI released a report about the incident on January 4
After the flight landed, the male guest left without the airline company crew filing a report
On January 5, the DGCA issued show-cause notifications to the accountable manager of Air India, director in-flight services and all the
pilots and cabin team members of that flight as to why enforcement action should not be taken versus them for dereliction of their
regulative responsibilities
Air India submitted a written reply just recently, following which the DGCA started the action
The pilot-in-commands license was suspended for a period of three months for failing to release tasks according to Rule 141 of the Aircraft
Rules, 1937 and relevant DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements, said the DGCA statement
Under the stated Rule 141, the pilot-in-command is charged with the obligation of supervising and directing other crew members for an
appropriate discharge of their responsibilities
In addition to being accountable for the operation and security of the aircraft during flight time, the Pilot-in-command shall be
responsible for the safety of the guests and freight carried and for the upkeep of flight discipline and security of the members of the
team, it states
Air India in a statement said it had actually gotten a copy of the DGCA order
We respectfully acknowledge the spaces in our reporting and are taking relevant steps to make sure that the exact same are resolved
We are also reinforcing our teams awareness of and compliance with policies on the handling of occurrences involving rowdy guests
Air India is dedicated to wait the safety and well-being of our guests, said the Air India spokesperson.Air India Urination Incident: DGCA
slaps Rs 30 lakh fine on Air India; suspends pilots license for 3 months