NEW DELHI: Air India has handed over to security agencies on arrival a defiant passenger who allegedly smoked in the toilet of a London-Mumbai flight on Friday (March 10) and had behaved aggressively to other people on board. THE Mumbai Police they filed a lawsuit against the passenger Ramakant (37), US citizen.
“A passenger on our flight AI130, operating London-Mumbai on 10 March 2023, was found smoking in the toilet. He subsequently behaved in an unruly and aggressive manner, despite repeated warnings. He was handed over to security personnel (upon arrival) in Mumbai. The regulator has been duly notified of the incident,” an AI spokesperson said.
The airline added that it is “extending all cooperation in the ongoing investigation. AI follows a zero tolerance policy for any behavior that compromises the safety and security of passengers and staff.”
We learn that the passenger tried to open the plane. He claimed to be carrying a bullet in his purse, something that was not found in the subsequent search. “Samples from the accused have been sent for examination to confirm whether he was intoxicated or mentally disturbed,” a Mumbai police official said.
AI MD-CEO Campbell Wilson said last month: “Almost every day we see cases where drunk passengers misbehave.
Very often people come on board after having a few drinks and some consume their own alcohol purchased from duty free on board. The crew faces their wrath in the form of threats and even assaults when they refuse to serve such passengers any more liquor. We are reporting all these cases now. After being fined for failing to act quickly in two cases of drunk passengers allegedly urinating on their co-passenger or their seat, AI has now gone tough on unruly flyers and is flagging all such cases for action.
“A passenger on our flight AI130, operating London-Mumbai on 10 March 2023, was found smoking in the toilet. He subsequently behaved in an unruly and aggressive manner, despite repeated warnings. He was handed over to security personnel (upon arrival) in Mumbai. The regulator has been duly notified of the incident,” an AI spokesperson said.
The airline added that it is “extending all cooperation in the ongoing investigation. AI follows a zero tolerance policy for any behavior that compromises the safety and security of passengers and staff.”
We learn that the passenger tried to open the plane. He claimed to be carrying a bullet in his purse, something that was not found in the subsequent search. “Samples from the accused have been sent for examination to confirm whether he was intoxicated or mentally disturbed,” a Mumbai police official said.
AI MD-CEO Campbell Wilson said last month: “Almost every day we see cases where drunk passengers misbehave.
Very often people come on board after having a few drinks and some consume their own alcohol purchased from duty free on board. The crew faces their wrath in the form of threats and even assaults when they refuse to serve such passengers any more liquor. We are reporting all these cases now. After being fined for failing to act quickly in two cases of drunk passengers allegedly urinating on their co-passenger or their seat, AI has now gone tough on unruly flyers and is flagging all such cases for action.
