A drunk man urinated on an elderly woman in her seventies in business class on an Air India Flight. This incident happened on 26 November 2022 on a business class Air India Flight travelling from New York to Delhi.
The investigation was started only after the woman wrote to N Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Group.
A drunk Man urinates on an elderly woman
She explained the situation in the letter.
“Shortly after lunch was served and the lights were switched off, …another passenger walked to my seat, completely inebriated. He unzipped his pants, relieved himself and continued to expose me to his private parts.”
She claims that she informed the cabin crew but was very disappointed with their assistance.
The septuagenarian wrote, “The crew was not proactive in managing a very sensitive and traumatic situation, and I had to advocate for myself throughout, waiting for long periods of time to get a response. I am …distressed that the airline made no attempt to ensure my safety or comfort during this incident.”
The crew gave her pyjamas and disposable slippers to change into.
“My clothes, shoes and bag were completely soaked in urine. The stewardess followed me to the seat, verified that it smelled of urine, and sprayed disinfectant on my bag and shoes…”
The cabin crew let her sit in a crew seat for an hour and then told her to return to her seat after putting sheets on top of the area which made no difference as the area was still reeking of urine.
She mentioned, “Although the staff had put sheets on top, the area was still reeking of urine.”
Two hours later she was given a crew seat and at the end of the flight, the crew told her they would get her a wheelchair so that she could clear customs as early as possible but made her wait for 30 minutes and nobody came to help.
She expressed her disappointment by saying, “Clearly the crew did not feel that taking care of a distressed passenger was a priority. At the end of the flight, the staff told me they would get me a wheelchair to ensure that I clear customs as early as possible.
However, the wheelchair deposited me at a waiting area, where I waited for 30 minutes, and nobody came to get me. I finally had to clear customs on my own and collect the luggage by myself — all in Air India pyjamas and socks.”
She said that the drunk man left scot-free after landing at the airport.
A senior airline commander said, “The cabin crew should have followed the company procedures, informed the pilot, isolated this unruly passenger and handed him over to security on landing.”
On Wednesday, 4 January 2024, The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said “We are seeking a report from the Airline and shall take action against those found negligent,” the DGCA said on Wednesday.
Air India stated, “Air India has reported the incident to police and regulatory authorities. We have been in regular contact with the aggrieved passenger”.
It added, “As a first step, Air India has already reported the matter to the Internal Committee in accordance with DGCA CAR – for declaring the pax unruly.
Meanwhile, the passenger has been banned from flying with Air India for 30 days or till the decision of the internal committee, whichever is earlier. If found guilty, action will be taken against the unruly passenger as per regulatory guidelines.”
