AI Urination incident: Air India says taking steps to address gaps after DGCA action

Shankar Mishra being taken by the police. File Pic/PTI

After aviation regulator DGCA initiated enforcement actions, Air India on Friday said it respectfully acknowledges the gaps in reporting with respect to the urination incident onboard a New York-Delhi flight last year and that relevant steps are being taken to address the issues.

The incident where a passenger allegedly relieved himself on a female passenger happened on the AI-102 flight from New York to Delhi on November 26 last year but came to the notice of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) only on January 4.

On Friday, DGCA said it has imposed a penalty of Rs 30 lakh on Air India as well as suspended the license of the pilot-in-command of the flight in connection with the incident. A fine of Rs 3 lakh has also been imposed on the airline's Director of in-flight services. These enforcement actions have been taken for various violations.

"We are in receipt of today's order of the Director General of Civil Aviation and are studying the same. We respectfully acknowledge the gaps in our reporting and are taking relevant steps to ensure that the same are addressed," an Air India spokesperson said in a statement.

According to the spokesperson, the airline is also strengthening our crews' awareness about policies on the handling of incidents involving unruly passengers. "Air

India is committed to stand by the safety and well-being of our passengers".

Also Read: AI Urination incident: Air India imposes four-month flying ban on Shankar Mishra

Meanwhile, Air India imposed a four-month flying ban on Shankar Mishra, who is accused of urinating on a woman co-passenger onboard a flight in November last year, a source said on Thursday.

Currently, Mishra is in jail and the case is before a Delhi court. He was allegedly in an inebriated state at the time of the incident.

The source said the airline has imposed a flying ban on Mishra for four months.

The flying ban was recommended by a three-member internal committee set up under DGCA norms.

Specific details could not be immediately ascertained.

On January 4, Air India said it had imposed a 30-day travel ban on Mishra but did not disclose the specific date from which the ban came into force.

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