On board an Air India flight, an intoxicated man allegedly exposed himself and urinated on an elderly woman. The plane was on its way to Delhi from New York on November 26, 2022.
Air India issued a statement published on social media by Asian News International on Jan 4, 2023.
It said in part, “an inebriated male passenger urinated on a female co-passenger in Air India’s business class on Nov 26.”
Unfortunately, poor and even criminal behavior in the skies isn’t uncommon. And this isn’t Air India’s first rodeo with terrible passengers.
In 2019, we reported that a stressed – out man stripped off his clothes mid-flight. He paced the aisle before the crew wrapped him in a blanket and restrained him until the plane landed. After that, authorities took over.
The Crew Was Apparently Indifferent
The already nasty experience was exacerbated by the inaction of the crew.
According to Rum Raiders, “after peeing on his female co-passenger, the reportedly intoxicated man allegedly faced no consequences from the flight crew.”
When the woman complained, she was allegedly told by the crew “to return to her soiled seat.”
Rum Raiders also added, “more than a month later, the woman reported the incident to Air India and only then was the complaint given to the police on Dec. 28.”
The Victim Penned A Letter Of Complaint
A letter written by the victim was published by The Indian Express. It was addressed to Natarajan Chandrasekaran, a chairman for Air India.
“My clothes, shoes and bag were completely soaked in urine,” the woman complained. “The stewardess followed me to the seat, verified that it smelled of urine, and sprayed disinfectant on my bag and shoes.”
“The bag contained my passport, travel documents and currency, among other items, and I wanted to immediately check the safety of the contents. I asked the stewardess to help me retrieve my bag, but she initially refused to touch the bag, and also told me to pick up my shoes and clean them myself in the bathroom.”
“When I started cleaning my own bag, then she began to assist. I was given a set of pajamas and disposable slippers to change into. After changing, I stood near the toilet for about 20 minutes. I asked for a change of seat but was informed that there were no seats available.”
The situation got worse when the plane landed.
Rum Raiders wrote, “the woman reportedly was not taken care of after disembarking, despite being promised a wheelchair in order to leave more quickly.”
What Were The Consequences?
A spokesperson for Air India explained, “the passenger has been banned from flying with Air India for 30 days or till the decision of the internal committee, whichever is earlier.”
“If found guilty, action will be taken against the unruly passenger as per regulatory guidelines.”
The Delhi Police also stepped in; “booking the man on charges of molestation and indecency.”
There Have Been Other Incidents Spawned By Intoxication
Air India isn’t the only carrier that has had to deal with drunk passengers. Bottom line: there’s never an excuse to misbehave.
Travel Noire reported last October that an intoxicated passenger bit a flight attendant’s finger. This necessitated an emergency landing.
One man on board a United Airlines flight struck a flight attendant and tried to storm the cockpit in April 2021.
Another man traveling on an American Airlines flight closing in on Los Angeles, puked from drinking too much.
A third man, after drinking quite a bit of whiskey, grabbed an Easy Jet flight attendant by the throat, and had to be restrained by other passengers.
