Republic IMPACT: DGCA directs airline companies to take strict action on unruly passengers

After a massive Republic campaign, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on January 6, issued another advisory for airline companies to mandatorily take strict action against unruly behaviour from passengers amid rising cases of misbehaviour.

This comes after the shameful Air India incident when an allegedly drunk passenger flashed his private parts and urinated over a 70-year-old co-passenger on November 2022 New York to Delhi flight. 

In an official statement, the DGCA reminded the airline companies of provisions of the Aircraft Rules advising on what actions to take toward unruly passengers onboard a flight. It also underscored that inappropriate or non-action by the airlines toward such incidents "has tarnished the image of air travel in different segments of society".  

DGCA's direction to airline companies

Citing Rule 141 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, the DGCA directed the Pilot in command to take responsibility for the safety of the passengers and cargo, maintenance of flight discipline, safety of crew members and for the operation and safety of the aircraft during flight. It also said that the pilot is also responsible for assessing any unwanted situation on the flight and relaying the information to the airline's central control for further action on the ground. The pilot is also required to lodge an FIR against any unruly passenger to the concerned security agency, to which the passenger will be handed over.

The DGCA has also given a permit to the cabin crew to use restraining devices on misbehaving passengers if the situation cannot be resolved through verbal communication and a written notice. "Applying restraining devices should be used when all conciliatory approaches have been exhausted," the DGCA's notice read. It further underlined the responsibilities of the Director-in-flight Services who is responsible for reporting any such incident to DGCA.

The DGCA further warned that "any non-compliance towards applicable regulations shall be dealt with strictly and invite enforcement action".