NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has asked Air India to act against unruly passengers who banged on the cockpit door and misbehaved with crew of a delayed Delhi-Mumbai flight on Thursday (Jan 2).

While threatening to break open the door, some passengers had asked the Boeing 747s pilots to come out of the cockpit and explain the situation a few hours after the jumbo jet had returned to the bay at IGI Airport from the runway due to a technical snag. AI is yet to take a call on the issue of beginning proceedings under the strict no fly list against the unruly passengers of this flight.

DGCA chief Arun Kumar said: "We have asked the airline to act against the unruly behaviour."

AI spokesman Dhananjay Kumar said: "A video of few passengers of AI 865 of January 2 is being widely circulated in different forums.That flight was considerably delayed due to technical reasons. AI management has asked the operating crew for a detailed report on the reported misbehaviour by some passengers. Further action would be considered after getting the report."

The 24-year-old B747 (VT-EVA) was to operate as AI 865 at 10.10 am on Thursday. "Passengers had boarded the flight by 9.15 am. The aircraft taxied out at 10 am and returned from the taxiway in about 10 minutes. Attempts were made to rectify the snag. Finally passengers were asked to alight from this ane at about 2.20 pm and sent to Mumbai by another aircraft at 6 pm Thursday," said an AI official. So there was a delay of 8 hours in the passengers taking off for their destination.

While airlines should do their best to minimise passenger woes during flight delays, unruly behaviour by flyers targeting crew is unacceptable globally. India also now has a no fly list where disruptive passengers can be barred from flying for upto a lifetime depending on the gravity of their unruly behaviour.

Problems on board the B747 (VT-EVA) named Agra began when passengers got restive after waiting for more than a couple of hours for the snag to be rectified.

Videos have emerged showing some young passengers banging on the cockpit door, asking the pilots to come out. Captain please one out Loser come out Come out or we will break the door they yell to the cockpit crew. Cockpit is on the upper deck of B747s where AI has its business class.

See more here:

Passengers threaten to open cockpit door on AI flight; DGCA seeks action - Times of India