American Airlines Bans Indian Student After He Urinates On Co-Traveller On Delhi-Bound Flight
A passenger, who was in a drunken state, urinated while asleep on a fellow traveller onboard a Delhi-bound American Airlines flight.
In yet another pee-gate case, a passenger onboard an American Airlines flight reportedly urinated on a fellow male traveller in an inebriated state on Saturday, PTI reported.
The incident took place on a New York-Delhi flight of the Airlines which took off from New York at 9:16 pm on Friday and landed after 14 hours and 26 minutes at the IGI airport in Delhi at 10:12 pm on Saturday, mentioned PTI in its report.
Responding to the incident, the airline said that American Airlines flight 292 from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) was met by local law enforcement upon arrival in Delhi due to a disruptive customer. "The flight landed safely at 9:50 pm yesterday," it added.
The airline said in its complaint, "Upon aircraft's arrival, Purser informed that pax was heavily intoxicated. He urinated on pax seated on 15G. We along with the CISF officer (at Delhi's IGI airport) disembarked the passenger from the aircraft who was still in an intoxicated condition. On basis of the above, we would be cancelling his travelling his return and future travel on our flight."
A source at the airport told PTI that the male victim did not report the matter to the police after the accused student apologised as it might put his career in jeopardy. However, the airline reported the matter to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at the IGI airport.
According to PTI, after the crew came to know about the incident, they informed the pilot who reported it further to the ATC. The ATC then alerted the CISF personnel who handed over the accused passenger to the Delhi Police.
"The airline's own security team, along with the CISF, came into action after the incident came to light. The accused was immediately taken into custody once the flight landed. Police are recording the statements of the persons concerned," another source at the airport informed PTI.
According to ANI, DCP IGI airport said that a complaint was received about a passenger urinating on another from American Airlines. The DCP said that the accused has been identified as Arya Vohra, a student in the US.
"Legal action being taken," the DCP said.
#WATCH | Devesh Kumar Mahla, DCP, IGI Airport gives details of the case pertaining to a student allegedly urinating on a fellow passenger mid-air on an American Airlines flight from JFK to Delhi on March 4 pic.twitter.com/5m87UvBxpp
— ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2023
An official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said, as quoted by ANI, "We have got a report from the concerned airline (American Airlines). They seem to have handled the situation professionally and have taken all appropriate actions."
Delhi | We have got a report from the concerned airline (American Airlines). They seem to have handled the situation professionally and have taken all appropriate actions: Official, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
— ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2023
As per ANI, Delhi Police said, "We're in touch with the airline company (American Airlines) regarding the sequence of events. The victim passenger neither wants his name to be made public nor does he want to register a complaint."
It is pertinent to note that it is the second such incident in the last few months after a passenger urinated on a woman flyer on an Air India flight. Co-incidentally, that case also took place on a New York-Delhi flight.
However, the Air India case, which took place on November 26, came to light months later. The accused Shankar Mishra had allegedly urinated in a drunken state on an elderly woman. An FIR was lodged in the case and Mishra was arrested. He was released on bail after spending nearly a month in jail.
Taking a serious account of the entire incident, the DGCA had imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Air India for not reporting the matter within 12 hours of the incident in accordance with the norm.
Accused Mishra was also banned from flying for four months and the matter is currently being probed by the Delhi Police.
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