DGCA ANNOUNCES NEW RULES FOR AIRLINES TO HANDLE UNRULY PASSENGERS

India’s aviation regulator DGCA has asked airlines to formalise the standard operating procedures (SOP) for on board handling of unruly passengers amidst Covid-19 pandemic.

 Aviation watchdog warned the airlines that due to the flight operations during the Covid-19 pandemic, there may be increased stress on the flyers due to new procedures in place that may lead to a rise in disputes between the passengers and cabin crew members.

The circular issued by the regulator stated, cabin crews should be made aware of new issues which may be encountered on board including “passengers refusing to continue wearing masks, increase in disputes between passengers according to their ethnicity, country of residence and more stress due to airport processes and their overall travel experience.”

 It also said that fear of infection may cause more conflicts among passengers due to non-compliance, poor hygiene etiquette, presence of symptoms similar to Covid-19.

“The handling of on board unruly passengers should include a reiteration of the enforcement mechanism of the operator and they should develop in-flight cabin crew training procedures to ensure passengers adhere to health and safety guidelines such as wearing mask/protective gear at all times  and maintain high levels of hygiene.”

 It has been advised by DGCA to operators that they must communicate their policy of handling unruly passengers on their website, during ticket purchase and check-in process. Also, the airlines have been asked to publicise the punishments for passengers who do not adhere to these norms.