‘Pee-gate’: DGCA advisory to airlines on restraining devices explained

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday told airlines to control rude and unruly passengers in an advisory and even use restraining devices when necessary. The aviation regulator issued the advisory after news of two separate incidents of men urinating on women co-passengers recently hit the headlines. Let’s take a closer look: The DGCA in an advisory to the head of operations of all airlines, emphasised that the pilot, cabin crew and director of in-flight services were responsible for dealing with unruly passengers under various provisions of Aircraft Rules, 1937, DGCA regulations, circulars and manuals of airlines approved/ accepted by the regulator.

The DGCA said that rules state that it is the responsibility of cabin crew to deal with an unruly passenger and defuse the situation.

It noted that when it becomes clear there is no way to resolve the situation through verbal communication and conciliatory approaches, restraining devices should be used. Under the Aircraft Act, 1937, the pilot-in-command is responsible for the safety of the passengers and cargo carried and for the maintenance of flight discipline and safety of the members of the crew, in addition to being responsible for the operation and safety of the aircraft during flight. Under the regulations, the pilot-in-command is “responsible for assessing the situation quickly if the cabin crew can control the situation and accordingly relay this information to the airline’s central control on the ground for further action.” “In addition … upon landing of the aircraft, airline representative will lodge FIR with the concerned security agency at aerodrome, to whom, the unruly passenger shall be handed over,” as per the advisory. The DGCA in the advisory said it has in the recent past  noted a few incidents of unruly behaviour and inappropriate conduct by passengers during flight, wherein “it is observed that post holders, pilots and cabin crew members have failed to take appropriate actions.” The DGCA stated that under the current norms:

• If an airline finds a passenger’s behaviour unruly, the pilot-in-command must file a complaint
• That plaint must be investigated by an internal panel
• During the probe, the airline can ban the flyer for a maximum of 30 days
• The committee has that period to adjudicate the matter
• It must then spell out how long the flyer can be banned
• If the committee fails to make a decision is not made, the passenger can resume flying

An airline, as per DGCA sources, is bound to report any unruly incident to the regulator. But in both the cases, the matter was not reported to the aviation safety regulator, DGCA sources said. “Non-action/ inappropriate action/ omission by the airlines towards such untoward incidents has tarnished the image of air travel in different segments of society,” the DGCA said in the advisory. “Head of operations are hereby advised to sensitise pilots, cabin crew and director-in-flight services of their respective airlines on the topic of handling of unruly passenger through appropriate means under intimation to DGCA,” the advisory stated.

It further warned that airlines that do not comply with these regulations would be dealt with strictly and invite enforcement action.

A drunk passenger allegedly urinated on a woman passenger in the business class of an Air India New York-New Delhi flight on 26 November. Within 10 days of this shocking incident, an inebriated passenger travelling on Air India flight to New Delhi from Paris urinated on the blanket of a passenger. Meanwhile, US financial services company Wells Fargo said it has sacked Shankar Mishra, has been accused of urinated on a female co-passenger on an Air India flight from New York. The company said that the allegations were “deeply disturbing”. “This individual has been terminated from Well Fargo,” the firm said in a statement. The company further said it holds its employees to the highest standards of professional and personal behaviour. “We are cooperating with law enforcement and ask that any additional inquiry be directed to them,” the statement added. The DGCA advisory comes a day after the regulator issued notices to the officials and crew of the New York-Delhi flight, asking why action should not be taken against them for “dereliction” of duty and held prima facie that Air India’s conduct appeared to be “unprofessional”. With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News,  Trending News,  Cricket News,  Bollywood News, India News and  Entertainment News here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram