New Delhi: After Air India banned a passenger for 30 days for urinating on a female co-passenger on board flight, experts said that the airline’s action is unfair and discriminatory.
Aviation expert Harshvardhan said: “This is unfair and discriminatory. There has to be equity in the treatment of such grave misconduct.”
Earlier, Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra questioned the DGCA after Air India decided to impose a 30-day flight ban on a man accused of urinating on a co-passenger.
She cited a previous incident in which comedian Kunal Kamra received a six-month flight ban from a number of airlines for “heckling” a senior journalist.
Moitra said on Twitter that she was “confused” how DGCA worked.
She wondered why Kamra got a six-month ban for “questioning” a co-passenger and another man who urinated on a co-passenger got a 30-day ban.
“Bit confused as to how DGCA works – Kunal Kamra got 6 month ban for questioning co-passenger but another man who pee’d on AI co-flyer gets 30 day ban. Kunal… maybe change tack next time? Clearly more is less,” she reacted through her Twitter handle.
Reacting on the issue, aviation safety consultant Mohan Ranganathan said on Twitter: “Air India covering up the idiot who peed on board, reminds me of the wonderful Ad by Kooka. Protect the offender’s identity & ruin AI reputation!?”
Air India on Wednesday had said that it has reported the matter to the aviation regulator DGCA for further action.
“As a first step, Air India has banned the passenger for 30 days, the maximum it is permitted to unilaterally do so, and reported the matter to the DGCA for further action,” it said.
An Air India spokesperson had said that the airline has taken a very serious view of the incident, where a passenger behaved in an unacceptable and undignified manner on the New York-Delhi flight that caused extreme distress to a fellow passenger.
“A police complaint has already been lodged and Air India is committed to assist the law enforcement agencies as well as regulatory authorities,” the airline said.