SC seeks 'creative solutions' to manage unruly air passengers
The Supreme Court has sought innovative measures to deal with unruly air passengers. The appeal came during the hearing of a petition filed by a 72-year-old woman who was allegedly urinated on by a drunk passenger during an Air India flight in 2022. Justice KV Vishwanathan recounted his recent experience with two drunk passengers on his flight, stressing on "something creative" like strategic seating arrangements.
SC judge recounts incident with drunk passengers on flight
Justice Vishwanathan recalled, "Recently when I and Justice Surya Kant were flying, there were two totally drunk male passengers." He explained how one passenger locked himself in the toilet and slept, while the other used a vomit bag. The flight had an all-women crew who couldn't open the toilet door due to safety regulations, requiring assistance from a co-passenger.
SC defers hearing, seeks modification of guidelines
The bench, comprising Justice BR Gavai and Justice Vishwanathan, has deferred the hearing by eight weeks. They have directed Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati to work with authorities to revise guidelines as per international standards. The petitioner was unhappy with Air India and Directorate General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA) response to her ordeal, alleging that media coverage violated her rights under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Petitioner seeks framework to prevent similar incidents
The petitioner is pushing for a framework in the airline industry to prevent such incidents and ensure they are handled without causing further trauma to passengers. In January last year, Shankar Mishra was granted bail after being accused of urinating on the petitioner during a New York-New Delhi flight. Mishra was initially denied bail over the "utterly disgusting" nature of his alleged actions but was released later.
