NEW DELHI: Unruly behaviour of passengers on board aircraft during flights that has been observed in the recent past also reflects on the failure of pilots and cabin crew to take appropriate action, the country’s aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has said.
"As per DGCA regulations, the pilot in command is responsible for the safety of the passengers and cargo carried and for the maintainence of flight discipline as well as safety of the members of the crew. This is in addition to being responsible for the operation and safety of the aircraft during the flight,’’ said the DGCA.
Non-action/ inappropriate action/ omIssIon by the airlines towards suchuntoward incidents has tarnished the image of air travel in different segments ofsociety. Individual's responsibility for handling of unruly passenger have been specifiedunder various provisions of Aircraft Rules, 1937, DGCA regulations, circulars andmanuals of airlines approved/ accepted by DGCA.
"The Pilot in command is also responsible for assessing the situation quickly if the cabin crew can control thesituation and accordingly relay this information to the airline's central control on theground for further action. Civil Aviation Regulation that uponlanding of the aircraft, airline representative shall lodge FIR with the concernedsecurity agency at aerodrome, to whom, the unruly passenger shall be handed over,’’ DGCA added.
Detailed procedures are enumerated for handling unruly passengers under the Operations Manual. It says that it’s the responsibility of the cabin crew to handle unruly passengers and defuse a critical situation until it becomes clear that there is no way to resolve it through verbal communication and written notice to the passenger.
"Applying restraining devices shouldbe used when all conciliatory approaches have been exhausted. The cabin crew is responsible for informing the passenger of therepercussion and consequences of such unruly behavior,’’ DGCA has added.
The head of operations have been advised to sensitise pilots, cabin crew and director inflight services on how to handle unruly passengers through appropriate means under intimation to DGCA. Any non-compliance towards applicable regulations shall be dealt strictly and inviteenforcement action.