NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Centre and aviation regulator DGCA to develop guidelines to address unruly air passenger behavior, stressing on the need for “something creative” in handling such incidents, according to news agency PTI.
A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan was hearing a plea from 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 sought instructions for the Centre, the DGCA, and airlines to establish a standard operating procedure (SOP) for managing such situations.
The bench requested Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati to guide the relevant authorities in reviewing and updating the existing guidelines to align with international standards.
“We had a recent experience. Two passengers were fully drunk. One went to the washroom and slept off. The other one who was outside had a bag to vomit. The crew was all women and for about 30 to 35 minutes no one could open the door. The crew then requested my co-passenger to open the door and take him out to the seat. It was a 2.40 hour-long flight,” Justice Viswanathan was quoted as saying.
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, in response to a petition filed by a woman.
During the proceedings, the woman’s counsel highlighted that while the DGCA claimed in its response that all necessary measures were in place, the petitioner had proposed additional suggestions for improvement. Representing the Centre, Solicitor General Bhati informed the court that an affidavit had been submitted, and guidelines and circulars were issued to address the issue of unruly passengers.
The woman had filed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in March 2023, stating that she was compelled to approach the Supreme Court due to Air India and the DGCA’s failure to handle her ordeal with adequate care and responsibility. She cited seven incidents of passenger misconduct on flights between 2014 and 2023, alleging that the airlines involved did not address these incidents appropriately.
The PIL requested that the Centre and the DGCA ensure civil aviation requirements align with the highest international standards. It also raised concerns about the lack of clear guidelines for media reporting on such cases, arguing that unverified or speculative coverage of sub judice matters could harm both victims and the accused.