Passenger assaulted AI official on-board Sydney-Delhi Air India flight

MUMBAI: In yet another incident of unruly behaviour mid-air, a passenger allegedly abused and assaulted a senior Air India official on board its Sydney-Delhi flight recently, according to a source.

The incident took place when the Air India official, who was downgraded from business class to economy due to the seat malfunctioning, tried to correct his co-passenger about his loud voice, the source said.

Despite the physical assault, Air India cabin crew did not use restraining devices to contain the unruly passenger, the source alleged.

An Air India spokesperson, in a statement, said, “A passenger on board AI-301 operating Sydney-Delhi on July 9, 2023, behaved in an unacceptable manner during flight, despite verbal and written warnings, causing distress to other passengers, which included one of our employees.”

“Upon the flight’s safe landing at Delhi, the passenger was handed over to the security agency, and the passenger later apologised in writing,” the airline said.

It also said that the DGCA was “duly informed” of the incident and added that the airline “will take a firm stand against misbehaviour. We will pursue this to the full extent of the law.”

According to the source, the seat allotted to the Air India official was 30-C since there were other passengers he chose to shift.

“Later he was reseated in 25 ABC,” the source said.

“The AI official began correcting his co-passenger about his loud voice. The passenger seated next to him slapped, twisted his head and abused him,” the source alleged.

As the five young cabin crew could not contain the rowdy passenger, the AI official rushed to the rear seats, as per the source.

“This unruly passenger was playing with emergency equipment and walking freely in the galley,” the source alleged.

According to the source, the male cabin supervisor was called and the passenger was “issued a verbal warning and a written warning.”