Aviation regulator slaps 3m fine on Air India in urination case

NEW DELHI – The Indian aviation regulator has slapped Air India with a fine worth INR3 million for one of the incidents in which a passenger peed on an elderly woman. 

Besides the fine imposed on Friday, the licence of the pilot-in-charge of its New York-Delhi flight has been suspended for three months by Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

"We acknowledge gaps in our reporting and are taking relevant steps to ensure that they are addressed," said the airline after the fine and suspension.

Moreover, a penalty of INR0.3 million has also been imposed on director-in-flight services of Air India as the regulator believed that the official failed to discharge her duties.

The action by aviation regulator comes a day after the airline imposed a four-month flying ban on the passenger, Shankar Mishra. The urination incident which sent shockwaves across the world happened on November 26 last year but the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) noticed it on January 4.

The accused - who denies charges before the court - had walked away when the flight landed in India but the victim wrote to the Air India group chairman about the incident following which the carrier filed a police complaint on January 4. Mishra was arrested by the Delhi Police six weeks after the incident.

The woman first informed the cabin crew but they did not detain the rowdy passenger who, according to the complainant, unzipped his pants and relieved himself. Sharing her ordeal, the woman said her clothes and bag were completely soaked in urine after which the air hostess took her to the toilet where she cleaned herself.

After waiting for nearly half an hour in the lavatory, she was then given the narrow crew seat and mentioned that she changed into a dress provided by crew members. The airline is owned by Tata group which said on Friday that they were 'strengthening crews' awareness of and compliance with policies on handling of incidents involving unruly passengers'.