Air India peeing incident: Airline slapped with Rs 30 lakh fine, licence suspended of pilot-in-command

Air India has been fined Rs 30 lakh financial penalty over the peeing incident by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).The licence of the pilot-in-command has also been suspended for a period of three months. A fine of Rs 3 lakh has also been imposed on director of in-flight services of Air India.

The regulatory body said that the incident of a male passenger conducting himself in a “disorderly manner” and allegedly relieving himself on a female passenger came to their notice on January 4. DGCA issued a show cause notice to the accountable manager of Air India, director of in-flight services, all pilots and cabin members of the flight as to why enforcement action should not be taken against them for “dereliction of their regulatory obligations”. 

Following the submission of the replies, the body decided to impose the following enforcement actions:

1. Rs 30 lakh penalty on Air India for violation of DGCA civil aviation requirements
2. Suspension of licence of the pilot-in-command of the flight for a period of three months for failing to perform his duties as per DGCA norms
3. Rs 3 lakh penalty on director of in-flight services of Air India for failing to perform her duties as applicable by DGCA

Meanwhile, the 34-year-old man who urinated on a 70-year-old woman passenger on board the New York-Delhi flight on November 26, has been banned by Air India for four months. Before that, he was put on a no-fly list for a month. 

The Delhi Police also lodged a case against the accused, Shankar Mishra, under Indian Penal Code sections 294 (obscene act in public place), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 510 (misconduct in public by a drunken person) as well as under Aircraft Rules.

Also read: Air India 'pee-gate': Airline imposes four-month flying ban on Shankar Mishra