Gaikwad effect: Air India to fine ‘unruly passengers’ up to Rs 15 lakh

New Delhi: In a bid to crackdown on unruly passengers, Air India has formulated new rules, under which it proposes to impose a fine of up to 15 lakh for causing a delay beyond 2 hours.

The latest rules come less than a month after Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad assaulted a staffer of the national carrier at the airport here.

Under the new rules, for a delay up to 1 hour, a fine of Rs 5 lakh will be imposed. In case the delay is between 1 to 2 hours, a fine of Rs 15 lakhs will be imposed and for any delay beyond 2 hours, the passengers will have to pay Rs 15 lakhs as fine.

Since the incident of Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad assaulting an Air India staffer last month, the national carrier as well as the government have been exploring ways, including a no-fly list to bolster the existing mechanism to rein in unruly passengers.

The airline had already changed the logbook entry format to ensure that the exact reasons for delays in flights are recorded, rather than generic explanations. Under the new system, all details, including the specific reason for delays especially in cases of passenger misbehaviour, will be furnished if a plane fails to depart on time because of errant fliers, the officials said.

Air India and other domestic airlines had barred Gaikwad. The ban was revoked after the leader apologised in Parliament.

With Agency Inputs