Air India pee case: SC asks Centre, DGCA to come up with ‘something creative’ to tackle unruly flyers | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Center and the aviation regulator D.G.C.A to develop guidelines to tackle unruly behavior of air passengers, emphasizing the need for “something creative” in dealing with such incidents, news agency PTI said.
A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan was hearing a plea filed by a 73-year-old woman, who alleged that a male co-passenger, under the influence of alcohol, urinated on her during an Air India flight in November 2022. the petitioner requested seeking instructions to the Centre, the DGCA and airlines to prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) for management of such situations.
The bench requested Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati to guide the relevant authorities in reviewing and updating the existing guidelines to bring them in line with international standards.
“We had a recent experience. Two passengers were completely drunk. One went to the washroom and slept it off. The other who was outside had a bag to vomit. The crew was all women and for about 30 to 35 minutes no one opens The crew then asked my co-passenger to open the door and take him to the seat. It was a 2.40 am flight,” Justice Viswanathan said.
In May 2023, the Supreme Court issued notices to the central government, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and all airlines, including Air India, on a petition filed by a woman.
During the proceedings, counsel for the woman emphasized that while the DGCA in its response claimed that all necessary measures had been taken, the petitioner had suggested additional suggestions for improvement. Representing the Centre, Advocate General Bhati informed the court that an affidavit had been filed and guidelines and circulars had been issued to address the issue of unruly passengers..
The woman had filed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in March 2023, stating that she was forced to approach the Supreme Court due to the inability of Air India and the DGCA to handle her ordeal with adequate care and responsibility. She cited seven incidents of passenger misconduct on flights between 2014 and 2023, claiming that the airlines involved had failed to appropriately address these incidents.
The PIL asked the Center and the DGCA to ensure that civil aviation requirements are in line with the highest international standards. Concerns were also raised about the lack of clear guidelines for media reporting of such cases, arguing that unverified or speculative reporting on sub judice cases could harm both victims and those accused.