30-day travel ban for drunk passenger who urinated on elderly woman on Air India flight

Air India on Wednesday issued a 30-day travel ban on the man who allegedly peed on an elderly woman travelling in business class on a flight from New York to Delhi in November 2022.

The airline, in an official statement, said that they have taken very serious note of the incident that has caused extreme distress to the passenger.

"A police complaint has already been lodged, and Air India is committed to assisting the law enforcement agencies as well as regulatory authorities to ensure that justice is delivered," the Air India spokesperson said, adding that they have reported the matter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for further action.

As a first step, Air India has banned the passenger for 30 days, the maximum it is permitted to unilaterally do so, it said further.

"We have also constituted an internal committee to probe lapses on the part of Air India's crew and address the deficiencies that delayed quick redressal of the situation. We are also in regular contact with the aggrieved passenger and her family during the investigation and reporting process," he added.

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Meanwhile, the Delhi Police also registered the FIR under sections 354, 509, 510 of the Indian Penal Code and 23 of the Indian Aircraft Act against the man.

In a letter to the chairman of the board of Tata and Sons, the victim called the flight experience extremely traumatic and expressed deep disappointment over the incident that took place in the business class section of the flight.

The woman said it happened shortly after lunch was served and the lights were switched off, as she was getting ready to sleep.

Within minutes, the drunk passenger walked to her seat and unzipped his pants, relieved himself, and continued to expose his private parts until another passenger asked him to return to his seat.

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