Mid-Air Scuffle: What Is Wrong With People's Behaviour?

A drunk man urinated on a female co-passenger in the business class of an Air India flight in November 2022 and was excused without facing any penalties. A few weeks after the incident, Air India filed a case and recommended that the disorderly passenger be placed on the no-fly list. The incident was revealed after the woman wrote to the group's chairman, N. Chandrasekaran. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has requested a report from the airline about the incident. The National Commission for Women has sought a detailed report from the Delhi Police Commissioner within seven days.

Air India Urination Case

On November 26, the drunk passenger, supposedly in his 30s, had walked up to the 70-year-old woman co-passenger, unzipped his pants, and urinated on her. He continued to expose himself until another passenger asked him to return to his seat. The incident happened on an Air India flight. The woman complained to the crew that her clothes, shoes, and bag were soaked in urine. Allegedly, the crew gave her a set of pyjamas and slippers and told her to return to her seat, claiming that no other seat was available. When she refused, she was given another crew seat, where she spent the remaining hours of the journey. She expressed her deep disappointment at the incident and said it was her most traumatic flight ever.

Air India has filed a police complaint against the man. According to sources, the man has been put on the no-fly list by an internal committee constituted by Air India. Currently, the issue is awaiting a decision from a government committee. The National Commission for Women (NCW)took cognisance of the incident onboard an Air India New York-Delhi flight on 4 January. As per the latest report, an FIR has been filed against the man. As per sources, the accused is a businessman and resides in Mumbai. 

On December 16, a video of an altercation between a passenger and an Indigo flight attendant on a flight from Istanbul to Delhi went viral on the internet. The passenger had started yelling abuse at her. The flight attendant has lost her cool, and the video shows her telling the passenger, "I’m not your servant," and that her crew is crying because of his finger-pointing and unruly behaviour.

On December 27, an Indian passenger refused to straighten his reclined seat before take-off. This led to an argument between him and a flight attendant on the Thai Smile Airways flight from Bangkok to Kolkata. The argument escalated into a brawl when some fellow passengers decided to teach him a lesson.

These are three incidents in the last two months where male flight passengers engaged in unruly behaviour. What is wrong with the passengers? Why can’t people maintain basic decorum on flights? In the Air India incident, how can a man get so intoxicated on a flight as if it were a bar? Yes, flights offer drinks, but that doesn’t mean people can get as drunk as a skunk. He was so intoxicated that he had the audacity to urinate and expose his private parts to a fellow passenger—a 70-year-old woman. It cannot be assumed that he did it without consciousness because people who drink are aware of the point at which they get high. This man should have had the basic sense to not get so intoxicated, given that he is in a public place.

Flight attendants are usually very patient and tolerant. So, the said Indigo flight attendant would not have lost her cool so easily. It would have taken a lot to reach her saturation point, and only then would she have lost her temper. The job of flight attendants is to help the passengers and make sure that they have a safe and comfortable journey. They are employees of the airlines and not anyone’s servants. What rights do passengers have to insult or be disrespectful to them? Aren't they, like us, people who deserve to be respected?

In the Thai Smile Airways incident, the passenger was requested to straighten his seat before take-off. This is a basic flying procedure. Why do people who cannot follow basic flight procedures and safety procedures travel in aeroplanes? When the flight attendant said that she would have to inform the pilot if he refuses to straighten his seat, he said that he flies often and he knows what to do. Why is he not aware of safety rules if he flies so frequently? Some passengers who were infuriated with his behaviour got into a brawl with him. An international flight was turned into a boxing ring because these people seem to have lost a sense of basic courtesy.

We're all adults, not irresponsible children. Each of us is responsible for our own behaviour. It’s our duty to ensure that we don't cause a ruckus in a public place and disturb others. The airlines should impose stricter rules, address such public nuisances immediately, and ensure that the offenders are punished. Having rules and punishments to regulate adult behaviour is a shame. But given the situation, it seems like only with strict rules and immediate consequences will people behave.

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