The accused is learned to be a student at an American university. “He was drunk and urinated while he slept. It somehow leaked and fell onto another passenger who complained to the crew,” an agency report said, citing an airport source. When responding to the incident, the student apologized to the male co-passenger and asked him not to press charges as it would damage his reputation and career.It is learned that the victim agreed to the student’s request.
The pilot, however, reported the matter to air traffic control which, in turn, alerted the safety agencies. The student was greeted by CSF upon arrival and then handed over to the Delhi Police who recorded the statements of all concerned.
In a statement, the airline said, “American Airlines Flight 292 serving John F Kennedy International Airport to Indira Gandhi International Airport has been met by local law enforcement upon arrival in Delhi due to a customer disruptive. The flight landed safely at 21:50. We are grateful to our crew members who have consistently dedicated themselves to the safety and care of our customers and handled the circumstances with the utmost professionalism.”
One similar incident each occurred on Air India flights to India last November and December. However, AI had failed to report the matter to the agencies due to which it came under regulatory fire and was heavily fined. Recently, AI Chief Executive Campbell Wilson said the airline is reporting all such cases to law enforcement.
Arun Kumar, who retired as the no-nonsense head of the DGCA on Feb. 28, 2023, had asked airlines to report all unruly incidents to the agencies. The DGCA had fined AI for not reporting the two incidents in time.
