Air India on Thursday announced a four-month flying ban on Shankar Mishra, the passenger who urinated on a woman co-traveller on a New York-Delhi flight in November. The decision could also trigger a similar ban by other airlines.
“The independent three-member internal committee under the Chairmanship of a former District Judge has concluded that Shankar Mishra is covered under the definition of unruly passenger and is banned from flying for a period of four months as per the relevant provisions of the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR),” the airline said.
This means he would be banned from all the airlines under the Air India group — Air India, Air India Express, AIX Connect as well as Vistara. It had earlier barred him flying for 30 days due to the internal committee enquiry.
Also read: Air India | Shankar Mishra takes a U-turn, tells Delhi court complainant urinated on her own seat
According to the Director General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) rules on handling of unruly passengers, an airline could impose a flying ban on a passenger for a period of three months to more than two years, depending on the severity of the offence.
Unruly behaviour comprising physical gestures, verbal harassment and unruly inebriation could invite a ban of up to three months; physically abusive behaviour a period of six months and life-threatening behaviour such as damage to aircraft or murderous assault or breach of the flight crew compartment anywhere between two years two years to a lifetime.
Also read: DGCA asks Air India to explain laxity in responding to woman’s complaint
“Systemic failure”
The airline said that it has provided the copy of the internal committee report to the DGCA, and would be informing other airlines of its decision. It was up to the other airlines to follow suit, as per DGCA rules.
Meanwhile, the two-week period given by the DGCA to Air India to respond to the showcause notice, concluded on Thursday. According to a senior DGCA official, it would announce a decision against the airline in a day or two.
The regulator had reprimanded the airline for its “unprofessional conduct” that led to a “systemic failure” when it failed to take any action against the erring passenger on November 27 who urinated on a co-traveller in a heavily intoxicated state.
The airline had allowed him to walk scot free when the flight landed in Delhi, instead of reporting him to the CISF and the DGCA.
