Hours after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation imposed a financial penalty worth Rs 30 lakh on Air India for the "violation of applicable DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements" in the alleged urination case of November 26, the airline has said that it acknowledges the gaps in its "reporting" of the incident.
"We are in receipt of today's order of the Director General of Civil Aviation and are studying the same. We respectfully acknowledge the gaps in our reporting and are taking relevant steps to ensure that the same are addressed," a spokesperson of Air India said on Friday.
The airline further said that it is strengthening its crew's awareness of and compliance with policies on the handling of incidents involving unruly passengers.
DGCA on Friday imposed a financial penalty of Rs 30 lakh on the airline for violation of applicable DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements.
The aviation regulator also has suspended the license of the Pilot-In-Command of the flight for the period of three months.
According to the DGCA's notification, the license of the Pilot-In-Command has been suspended for a period of three months for failing to discharge his duties as per Rule 141 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, and applicable DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements.
The Director-in-flight services of Air India have also been slapped with a financial penalty worth Rs 30 lakh for failing to discharge her duties as per applicable DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements.
On January 6, DGCA issued Show Cause notices to the Accountable Manager of Air India, the Director of in-flight Services of Air India, and all the pilots and cabin crew members of that flight as to why enforcement action should not be taken against them for dereliction of their regulatory obligations.
Air India submitted its reply on Friday.
Fresh actions by the DGCA against Air India have been taken in the instant case according to the written response of the airline.
On November 26 last year, a man named Shankar Mishra allegedly urinated on a 70-year-old woman in an intoxicated condition in business class of an Air India flight.
Delhi Police had registered a First Information Report (FIR) against him on January 4 on a complaint given by the woman to Air India under sections 354, 509, and 510 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 23 of the Indian Aircraft Act. Both the accused and the victim are from outside Delhi.
US-based financial services company Wells Fargo also terminated its employee Shankar Mishra after the incident.
"Wells Fargo holds employees to the highest standards of professional and personal behaviour and we find these allegations deeply disturbing. This individual has been terminated from Wells Fargo. We are cooperating with law enforcement and ask that any additional inquiries be directed to them," the company said in a statement.
Air India also banned Shankar Mishra, accused of urinating on the elderly woman, from flying for four months.
( With inputs from ANI )
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