NEW DELHI: A drunk and unruly passenger aboard an Air India flight from Amritsar to Delhi created a commotion mid-air on Friday morning and was subsequently handed over to security personnel upon landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport. No FIR has been filed in the matter, according to a senior police official.
The incident occurred on flight AI 454, which departed from Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport at 6:40 am and arrived at Delhi's Terminal 3 at 8:11 am.
According to sources, the disruptive flyer was travelling with his wife and daughter. “The individual hurled abuse at a co-passenger, who lodged a complaint with the cabin crew. The captain was alerted and informed Air India’s ground security team, who, along with airport security staff, were ready to take custody of the individual as soon as the aircraft landed,” the source said.
The affected co-passenger was promptly relocated to a seat in business class following the incident.
In an official statement, an Air India spokesperson confirmed, “An incident involving unruly passenger behaviour occurred on board flight AI 454 from Amritsar to Delhi on June 28. During cabin preparations for landing, a cabin crew member observed a passenger standing in the aisle, engaged in a verbal altercation with another passenger.”
The spokesperson further stated, “The second passenger informed the crew that the individual was being verbally abusive. Our cabin crew swiftly de-escalated the situation by relocating the affected passenger to a business class seat for the remainder of the flight.”
Following the complaint, the pilot-in-command alerted the airline’s security team on the ground, who were present upon arrival and took the disruptive flyer into custody for further investigation.
“Air India maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards disruptive behaviour and prioritises the safety and well-being of all passengers and crew. We are fully cooperating with the relevant authorities, and the matter is now under their jurisdiction,” the airline added.