Air India deboards unruly passenger at Delhi airport, lodges FIR

Air India on Monday turned around its AI 111 Delhi-London flight due to an 'unruly' passenger onboard. The flight returned to the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi as there was an unruly male passenger onboard. According to an airline official the passenger had a fight with flight crew members in mid-air.

After the report, Air India informed the passenger was handed over to the security personnel upon landing. The airline has also lodged an FIR against the passenger. "Air India flight AI 111 scheduled to operate Delhi-London today returned to Delhi shortly after departure due to the serious unruly behaviour of a passenger on board. Not heeding to verbal and written warnings, the passenger continued with unruly behaviour including causing physical harm to two of the cabin crew members. The passenger was handed over to the security personnel upon landing. An FIR has also been lodged with the police," the Tata Group's airline told the media.

The said passenger is currently at the Delhi Airport, news agency ANI reported. The flight had around 225 passengers.

The unruly passenger was deboarded at the airport and later the flight took off for London Heathrow.

In recent times, there have been multiple cases of unruly air passenger behaviour, including incidents of a male passenger allegedly urinating on a female co-passenger and people found smoking in the lavatory of flights.

Therefore, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken strict action in these incidents, and the airlines concerned had also imposed a flying ban on the passengers concerned.

Recently, the DGCA chief said that airlines are empowered to take action against passengers indulging in unruly behaviour on flights.

In January, the DGCA penalised Tata Group-owned Air India twice related to incidents of unruly passenger behaviour.

On January 24, the regulator imposed a fine of ₹10 lakh on the airline for not reporting two incidents of unruly passenger behaviour onboard a Paris-New Delhi flight on December 6, 2022.

On January 20, the watchdog slapped a penalty of ₹30 lakh on Air India as well as suspended the license of the pilot-in-command of the New York-Delhi flight in which a person allegedly urinated on a female co-passenger on November 26, 2022.

In connection with the incident, a fine of ₹3 lakh was also imposed on Air India's Director of in-flight services for failing to discharge her duties.

A total of 143 passengers have been put on the 'no Fly List' since 2017.