An IndiGo pilot was assaulted by a passenger on board, while the former was announcing delays. A video of the assault became viral on social media.
A video was shared on microblogging site X, where a man in yellow hoodie abruptly ran up from the last row and hit the new pilot, who had replaced the previous crew due to Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms after several hours of delay.
“A passenger punched an Indigo capt in the aircraft as he was making delay announcement. The guy ran up from the last row and punched the new Capt who replaced the previous crew who crossed FDTL. Unbelievable !” wrote the netizen who shared the video from inside the IndiGo flight.
FDTL, or Flight Duty Time Limitations, are regulations crucial for ensuring the well-being of pilots and flight attendants by mandating adequate rest periods and mitigating fatigue-related safety concerns. The responsibility for establishing FDTL falls under the jurisdiction of the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
It is still unverified on which flight this incident took place.
"What does the pilot or cabin crew have to do with the delay? They were just doing their job. Arrest this man, and put him on the no-fly list. Publish his picture so people are aware of his bad temper in public," wrote one user on X, reacting to the video.
"This person should be booked for assault as well as put on a No Fly List. While @IndiGo6E is in the news for all the wrong reasons and must be taken to task for its shortcomings, but this is totally unacceptable passenger behaviour," wrote another.
“Both airlines and passenger are at fault here. X is full of complaints against Indigo where they are not communicating the delay and status correctly with passengers, taking them for a ride. On the other hand, no amount of frustration gives anyone a right to physically assault someone. That’s criminal.”, wrote another.
“Dono ki galti hain airline and that person as well”, commented another.
Meanwhile, IndiGo Airline informed that they have filed a complaint against the passenger and the process of filing the case is underway. “We received a complaint and are taking appropriate legal action,” DCP, Indira Gandhi International Airport said.
“On the complaint of Co-Pilot Anup Kumar regarding one passenger, Sahil Kataria who assaulted and misbehaved with his co-pilot inside the flight from Delhi to Goa, a case has been registered under section 323/341/290 of IPC and 22 aircraft rules. An investigation is underway”, the DCP, Indira Gandhi International Airport added.
Amid the severe fog conditions, the Delhi airport has issued an advisory for passengers, requesting that they contact airlines before travelling.
Earlier on Sunday, low visibility and dense fog conditions across North India impacted IndiGo flight operations, causing inconvenience to passengers travelling by air.
According to an official statement from IndiGo Airlines, “Due to the low visibility and dense fog conditions across North India, IndiGo flight operations were impacted on January 14, 2024.”
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