NEW DELHI/ MUMBAI: In a deeply troubling recurrence that has once again cast a shadow over Air India, a passenger aboard a flight from Delhi to Bangkok allegedly urinated on a fellow traveller mid-air, sources said on Wednesday.
In an official statement, Air India said that “an incident of unruly passenger behaviour” occurred on Flight AI2336 from Delhi to Bangkok. The airline added that the matter was promptly reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, in line with standard protocol.
The crew reportedly offered the victim assistance, including help filing a formal grievance with authorities upon landing in Bangkok, a gesture that was declined.
While AI claimed that the crew strictly followed all prescribed procedures for handling such incidents, public outrage has again erupted over the airline’s repeated run-ins with mid-air misconduct.
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, responding to questions from the media, said, “The ministry will take note of the incident and speak to the airline. If there is any wrongdoing, we will take necessary action.”
According to airline sources, a standing independent committee has been formed to investigate the incident while parallelly interim ban for a month has been imposed on the passenger.
“The airline has decided to put the passenger on no-fly list for 30 days, pending investigation,” the source said.
The airline reiterated its commitment to following the Standard Operating Procedures mandated by the DGCA to manage such incidents onboard.