A passenger who broke the inner window pane of a window aboard an Air India flight from Chandigarh to Delhi on Sunday has been referred to the airline’s internal committee to decide whether he should be placed on the no-fly list, officials familiar with the matter said on Monday.
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The incident took place on flight AI1879 on the evening of June 7 as the aircraft was preparing to land at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.
Officials said the passenger was told to stop damaging the inner window pane, but he didn’t stop. The inner pane, also called a scratch pane, is a thin, non-structural plastic cover located inside the cabin and protects the critical weight-bearing window layers beneath it from accidental damage.
An Air India spokesperson confirmed the incident.
“Flight AI1879 operating from Chandigarh to Delhi on June 7 landed safely at Delhi following an incident involving an unruly passenger during the flight. The cockpit crew followed the standard operating procedure and, after issuing warnings to the passenger, reported the matter to the security team at Delhi airport,” the spokesperson said.
“Safety of passengers, crew and the aircraft was never compromised at any point during the flight.”
Officials said the passenger was aggressive and dismissive of repeated warnings from the cabin crew during the flight, but began apologising repeatedly once he was handed over to security personnel at Delhi’s IGI Airport.
“Air India follows a zero-tolerance policy for behaviour that can impact the safety and security of passengers and staff,” the spokesperson said.
Under the Civil Aviation Requirements, all cases of unruly behaviour are referred to the airline’s internal committee, which has 30 days to determine the category and duration of the ban on the passenger. The airline can tentatively impose a ban of up to 30 days pending a decision by the panel.
The matter has been referred to the airline’s internal committee, which will assess whether he should be classified as an unruly passenger and whether further action should be taken under applicable rules,” the official said.
He was detained overnight at the airport. At about 9:30am on June 8, the passenger escaped from police escort at the T-3 check-in area and ran towards the forecourt. However, a quick response team (QRT) personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force spotted and apprehended him. He was handed back to the police, an airport official said on condition of anonymity.
During the inquiry, his parents informed police that he was a person with mental illness and requested that he be allowed to travel to Patna, his hometown, o take the flight to Patna in view of the ongoing proceedings.
“After the completion of necessary formalities, Kumar was released and handed over to his parents,” the official said.
