Ruling unruly passengers on air

With multiple incidents of unruly passengers on flights surfacing — at least five instances of inebriated men threatening women on different international flights have made headlines in recent times — the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued an advisory, asking restraining devices to be used on board for such passengers.

Three of such incidents have been reported on Air India flights, one on board a Gulf carrier and another one on a domestic IndiGo flight. In the IndiGo one, two men were allegedly found drinking on board and handed over to the police on arrival — alcohol consumption is banned on domestic flights. On AI102 from New York’s JFK airport to Delhi in late November, an allegedly drunk passenger relieved himself on an elderly lady. On AI 142 Paris-Delhi flight, one drunk passenger was caught smoking in the lavatory and remained unmindful of the crew’s instructions. Another allegedly relieved himself on a vacant seat and the blanket of a female passenger when she was not at her seat.