London-bound Air India flight returns to Delhi after passenger hits cabin crew

Air India called the safety, security, and dignity of all on board important and added the airline was providing all possible support to the affected crew members

An unruly male passenger hit a female member of the Air India crew and pulled another by her hair on a London-bound flight, forcing it to return to Delhi around 15 minutes after take-off on Monday morning.

This was the latest in a series of incidents involving unruly passengers. (REUTERS)

In a statement, Air India said the passenger did not heed verbal and written warnings and continued with unruly behaviour, including physical harm to two of the cabin crew members. “The pilot in command decided to return to Delhi and the passenger was handed over to the security personnel upon landing.”

The statement said the flight returned to Delhi shortly after departure due to the “serious unruly behaviour” of the passenger. It added a First Information Report has also been lodged.

Air India called the safety, security, and dignity of all on board important and added the airline was providing all possible support to the affected crew members. “We regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers.”

The flight has been rescheduled to depart for London on Monday afternoon.

Air India was fined for its handling of Mishra. The licence of the pilot-in-command on the New York-New Delhi flight was also suspended for three months.

Air India subsequently acknowledged gaps in the airline’s internal reporting and assured the relevant steps were being taken to address them. It said the airline was also strengthening crews’ awareness of and compliance with policies on the handling of incidents involving unruly passengers.

Air India de-rostered one pilot and four cabin crew as part of its probe and barred Mishra from flying for four months.

Amid criticism for its handling of Mishra, Air India also acknowledged that a second similar incident occurred in December on a Paris-Delhi flight.