New Delhi: In yet another alleged incident of “unruly” behaviour by an airline passenger, an Indian passenger allegedly urinated on a fellow traveller onboard an American Airlines flight from New York to New Delhi. The accused was allegedly in an inebriated state.
The airline has submitted a report on the incident to the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
In a statement issued Monday evening, the aviation regulator said it had sought and obtained a report from American Airlines on the alleged incident. It added that the airline has taken appropriate action, according to DGCA regulations, and would further investigate the matter in accordance with its internal procedures.
“An allegedly inebriated passenger (arriving from New York by American Airlines) yesterday (Sunday) relieved himself on another passenger. American Airlines has recorded the statements of co-passengers and handed over the passenger to law enforcement. An FIR has been lodged,” DGCA said in its statement.
According to media reports, the man allegedly had an argument with the co-passenger, following which he urinated on him.
Meanwhile, American Airlines in a statement Monday said its flight 292 with service from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) “was met by local law enforcement upon arrival in DEL due to a disruption onboard”.
Following a series of incidents involving unruly behaviour by passengers, the DGCA earlier this month had issued an advisory to all airlines reiterating the existing provisions to deal with such occurrences that have the “potential of compromising the safety of aircraft operations”.
Past incidents
There have been at least two alleged instances of reportedly inebriated passengers relieving themselves on a co-passenger onboard an aircraft in the past few months, including the 26 November incident on an Air India New York-Delhi flight, when an inebriated co-traveller allegedly urinated on a 70-year-old woman.
The second instance was reported on 6 December on an Air India flight from Paris to Delhi where a passenger allegedly relieved himself on a vacant seat and blanket of a fellow woman passenger when she went to the lavatory.
The DGCA advisory issued earlier this month followed “serious unruly behaviour” of a passenger onboard Air India flight from Delhi to London that resulted in physical harm to two of the cabin crew members.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)