Aviation watchdog proposes to ban passengers for over 2 years for unruly conduct

Passengers who behave in an unruly manner may face flight bans based on the severity of their misconduct. Level 1 violations can lead to a ban of up to three months, Level 2 up to six months, while Level 3 and 4 offences attract a minimum two-year ban or longer.

Aviation watchdog DGCA has proposed stricter norms to deal with unruly passengers, including allowing airlines to directly impose a flying ban on such passengers for up to 30 days.

"A 'No/Zero Tolerance Policy' has been adopted to ensure the safety of the aircraft/persons/property and to maintain good order & discipline on board an aircraft," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in its draft revised rules.

Among other proposals, the regulator has mentioned that an airline shall formulate and implement a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the handling of unruly passengers and for reporting the incidents to the DGCA, and shall circulate the same among all concerned stakeholders.

An independent committee set up by the airline that will include a representative from another carrier, among others, will take a decision on the flying ban.

"An airline may directly impose a flying ban for a disruptive passenger for a period not exceeding thirty days (30) days without referring the matter to the Independent Committee, where the passenger is found to have committed any of the following disruptive acts on board an aircraft," the regulator said.

Such an action can be taken by an airline for various violations, including smoking on board the aircraft, consumption of alcohol onboard a domestic flight and misuse of an emergency exit or unauthorised use of life-saving equipment, including life jackets.