Is misbehaviour a global phenomenon in flights?

DGCA framed new rules to protect cabin crew and passengers

In the wake of a spate of incidents involving unruly passenger-behaviour on board several flights, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation is forced to come up with a new rule to deal with the unruly or disruptive passengers demanding the airlines to report such incidents with immediate effect. DGCA has issued afresh directive to all airlines to report air rage incident to the Chief of Flight Safety or Cabin Crew Nodal Officer telephonically and submit a written complaint within 12hours of the incident.

In the recent past, a number of incidents involving unruly passengers have taken place posing a threat to the safety of the flight and/or its passengers, crew, or its properties.

The new rules stipulates that misbehaviour includes damage to property, even removal of smoke detectors,nagging a steward, trying to touch an air-hostess, getting abusive with the crew or co-passengers or assaulting them. A passenger who indulges in these will attract punishment. Depending on the nature of the misbehaviour,the passenger could be fined up to Rs five lakh or spend an year in jail. The other serious offences are getting into physical fights and risking the safety of the aircraft that are also likely to be considered non-bail able offences. Every person on board an aircraft must obey the lawful commands of the aircraft crew .Any behaviour on board an aircraft which interferes with the crew in the conduct of their duties and disrupts the safe operation of an aircraft can be treated as unruly behaviour. Others include refusing to buckle seat belt, use of abusive or threatening words, intentionally interfering with the duties of a crew member, wearing of offensive or in appropriate clothes, viewing of pornographic material, or having sex in lavatory; and drunkenness.Unruly passengers are not the only cause of worry in air travel imagine putting your life in the hands of an unruly crew as seen a fort night ago when a mid-air fight allegedly broke out between the two pilots and cabin crew members in an India aircraft. The pilot and a co-pilot were arrested after being accused of molesting an air hostess in the cockpit that sparked a scuffle with other crew members.

Recently in a flight bound for Kerala a passenger under the influence of drinks misbehaved with the cabin crew and even came out of toilet fully naked, and reached his seat. It was only with great effort the crew andco-passengers forced him to wear his dress.

In a Hong Kong-Mumbai flight a passenger fondled an air hostess .A foot ball team from Goa tried to molest a hostess in the air.

Once Air India Dubai-Calicut(IC 537) — had to be diverted to Mumbai because of the unruly behaviour of a passenger. When an air hostess attended to this quarrelling passenger , he touched her and tried to fondle her, said an officerfrom the Sahar police station.The pilot had to intervene again.

Unruly passengers are not the only cause of worry in air travel imagine putting your life in the hands of an unruly crew as seen a fortnight ago when a mid-air fight allegedly broke out between the two pilots and cabin crew members in an India aircraft.The pilot and a co-pilot were arrested after being accused of molesting an air hostess in the cockpit that sparked a scuffle with other crew members.

However after the enquiry air hostess was asked to give explanation for not abiding the rules.

The only question that lingers in the minds of several airlines and passengers is whether DGCA will go ahead with action against the offenders or simply collect the complaints and file it.