India’s aviation regulator is proposing to grant airlines the power to ban disruptive passengers for up to 30 days immediately. This significant shift from current rules aims to enable quicker responses to safety threats posed by unruly behaviour such as smoking, intoxication or misuse of emergency equipment.
India’s aviation regulator has proposed giving airlines the authority to impose immediate 30-day flying bans on disruptive passengers, a significant shift from the country’s existing rules, which require unruly behaviour aboard aircraft to be referred to an independent committee. Under draft amendments published by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, carriers would be empowered to directly ban passengers for up to 30 days for offences including smoking on board, consuming alcohol on a domestic flight, or on an international flight where the drink was not served by cabin crew, or misusing emergency exits and unauthorised handling of life-saving equipment such as life jackets.
The draft covers protests or sloganeering, as well as intoxication-related misconduct and behaviour deemed disruptive, including shouting, inconveniencing fellow passengers, and repeatedly kicking seat backs or tray tables. Airlines would be required to draw up and enforce a standard operating procedure for managing such passengers, for reporting incidents to the DGCA, and to share that procedure with all relevant stakeholders. The proposed changes fall under Rule 133A of the Aircraft Rules 1937. DGCA has invited stakeholders to submit feedback on the amendments. The proposals make a notable tightening of India’s approach to in-flight misconduct.
Under the current framework, carriers lack the power to act unilaterally to impose travel bans, which critics say hamper swift responses to safety threats. GGCA acknowledged that disruptive incidents represent a small share of overall air travel but argued that even a single unruly passenger can pose a serious risk to flight safety and operations. The regulator said the proposed measures were designed to help airlines act more quickly to protect passengers and crew. The draft comes as Indian aviation continues to expand rapidly, with passenger numbers climbing steadily in recent years.
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