NEW DELHI: In the first action of its kind, an unruly person could end up on the no-fly list for misbehaving at an airport to force an airline to accept him on a flight despite not carrying the mandatory RT-PCR Covid-negative report.
On Monday afternoon, Suraj C Pandey (36) and a woman reported at a Vistara counter at Delhi’s IGI Airport to check in for the Mumbai flight UK 933.
While the woman had a RT-PCR report and was given a boarding pass, Pandey did not have the same and was refused permission to fly.
“He started misbehaving with staffers at the airport and other passengers.
He started walking on the conveyor belt for check-in baggage.
The airline staff called Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and he misbehaved with them too,” said a source.
Security personnel had to drag him from the check-in area to hand him over to the local police, he added.
“The woman flew to Mumbai.” According to Vistara sources, the airline has initiated proceedings against Pandey under Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)’s unruly passenger rules and he could end up on the no-fly list for at least a couple of months.
The airline tried to explain to him that the RT-PCR requirement for Mumbai-bound passengers is a government rule.
A CISF official said the airline had also agreed to give Pandey a full refund, but he insisted on taking a subsequent flight.
“The passenger then turned violent and started shouting.
He started walking on the check-in baggage belt and obstructed the working of airline staff and other passengers,” said Rajeev Ranjan, DCP, IGI Airport.
“The CCTV footage showed Pandey doing all these activities.
Based on the complaint, CCTV footage, an inquiry was conducted and he was arrested under Delhi Police Act.
Since the offence was bailable, he was released on police bail and will be produced before a court,” Ranjan added.
Under DGCA’s norms, an airline can put an unruly passenger on the no-fly list for a specific period depending on the gravity of the safety violation after following a due process.
Other carriers are free to ban him, too, for the same period.
So far the Indian airlines have collectively followed such a decision.
Watch Man creates ruckus at IGI Airport, wanted to fly without RT-PCR test