AMN /NEW DELHI
Government today unveiled rules to tackle on-board disruptive and unruly behaviour by passengers in flights. The revised Civil Aviation Requirement, CAR, defines three categories of unruly behavior- verbal, physical and life threatening. There is provision for debarring from flying for three months for verbal unruly behaviour, six months for physical and two years or more for life threatening.
The complaint of unruly behavior would need to be filed by the pilot-in-command, which will be probed by an internal committee to be set up by the airline. Briefing reporters in New Delhi, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said, the new rules will allow for the formation of a national No Fly List of such unruly passengers.
He said the promulgation of the list in India is unique and first of its kind in the world. Emphasizing the government’s commitment for ensuring safety, the Minister said, the concept of the No-Fly List is based on the concern for safety of passengers, crew and the aircraft.
The revised CAR will be applicable for all Indian operators engaged in scheduled and non-scheduled air transport services, both domestic and international carriage of passengers. The CAR would also be applicable to foreign carriers subject to compliance of Tokyo Convention 1963.
The airlines will have to share the No-Fly list which will posted on the DGCA website. However, the other airlines will not be bound by the No-Fly list of an airline. The revised rules also contain appeal provisions against the ban. Aggrieved persons may appeal within 60 days from the date of issue of order to the Appellate Committee constituted by the Ministry.
The committee will comprise of retired Judge of a High Court as Chairman and representatives of passengers association, consumer association and retired officer of Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum and airlines as Members.