Alarmed at rising number of crew being harassed, DGCA issues strict guidelines.
On January 5, 2010, three footballers from the Churchill Brothers’ team from Goa were arrested for molesting/misbehaving with an air hostess on board a Spicejet Goa-Mumbai flight.
On January 9, a ship captain Bruno Augustin D’Souza fondled a Jet Airways hostess on board their Hong Kong-Mumbai flight.
These are not one-off incidents, but are regular features on board most airlines. Interestingly, in most cases the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) learns of these incidents only after they have been reported in the media.
“In the recent past, the number of unruly passengers on flights has gone up significantly, posing a threat to the safety of the flight and its passengers, crew or properties,” a circular issued by the DGCA states. “However, reporting such incidents has been either delayed or has gone unreported to the regulatory authority,” the circular states.
Hence, the DGCA has made it mandatory for airlines to report such incidents within 12 hours. The incident is to be immediately reported by the chief of flight safety/cabin crew nodal officer via the phone and written information should be submitted within 12 hours of the landing of the aircraft as per the enclosed proforma, it said.
According to the circular, all incidents are to be reported to the director, air safety headquarters (cabin safety division) as well as to the director, air safety/regional controller air safety in whose region the flight lands after the incident.
The airlines are happy to participate in this process and to provide all necessary details to the aviation regulator. “We hope this will reduce the instances of air rage that have gone up since the past year. It will also deter passengers who think they can get away with anything on board,”says a private airline official who does not wish to identified.
But, airlines hope that something positive comes out of all this. “Let’s hope besides collecting passenger information from us, DGCA also comes up with stringent laws to keep such behaviour in check. Abroad, passengers are punished and even jailed for such actions, but here they go scot-free,” he says.
Aviation expert captain Mohan Ranganathan has a query about the circular. “In India, in most cases of unruly passengers, half of them are politicians. Will they take action against politicians also,” he asks.
Naseem Zaidi, director general of civil aviation (DGCA) was unavailable for comment.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}