Air India Urination Case: DGCA may allow use of restraining device to control unruly passengers on flights, but only in THIS condition

Air India Urination Case: Taking cognisance of the incident where a drunk passenger urinated on a woman in an Air India flight from New York to Delhi, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) advisory has recommended the use of a handcuff-like restraining device on flights to control unruly passengers.

News agency ANI quoted a senior DGCA official as saying that the governing body has recommended restraining devices in aircraft cabin that will be used to restrain unruly passengers.

Air India Urination Case: When can flight crew restrain unruly passengers?

As per the report, a "level 3 violation" involving abusive and physically violent passengers will warrant use of this restraining device that resembles a handcuff.

Interestingly, some airlines in India like Air Asia already keep the restraining device in the aircraft cabin for cabin crew to utilise in case passengers become physically violent.

However, the DGCA official said that the restraining devices should be applied only when all conciliatory approaches have been exhausted. 

Also, Civil Aviation Rule (CAR) warrants that cabin crew inform the passenger of the repercussion and consequences of such unruly behaviour. 

Air India Urination Case: Today's Developments

The Delhi Police summoned Air India staff on Friday in connection with the which occurred onboard the Air India flight reports said.

As per the PTI report, the Air India staff, including pilot and co-pilot, were issued summons but they didn't appear. They have now been summoned to appear at the office of deputy commissioner of police (airport) on Saturday at 10.30 am.

Police on Wednesday registered an FIR and formed several teams to nab the accused passenger - Shankar Mishra - who had urinated on his co-passenger, a senior citizen in her seventies, allegedly in an inebriated condition in the business class of the Air India flight on November 26 last year.

Mishra is the vice president of the India Chapter of an American multinational financial services company headquartered in California.

A police officer said that teams have been sent to Mumbai and Bengaluru. The office of the accused is situated in Bengaluru and it was found in primary investigation that he was working from home, the officer said, adding that police are conducting raids to nab him.

(With agency inputs)