DGCA proposes rules allowing airlines to ban unruly passengers

India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, has proposed stricter norms to tackle disruptive passenger behaviour, including allowing airlines to directly impose flying bans of up to 30 days without prior approval from an independent committee.

In a draft revision of the Civil Aviation Requirement on unruly passengers, the DGCA said a no or zero tolerance policy is necessary to ensure the safety of aircraft, passengers, crew, and property, and to maintain discipline on board. Under the proposal, airlines will be required to formulate and implement a standard operating procedure for handling unruly passengers and reporting incidents to the regulator, and circulate it among all stakeholders.

The draft allows airlines to impose an immediate ban of up to 30 days in cases involving violations such as smoking onboard, consumption of alcohol on domestic flights, misuse of emergency exits, or unauthorised use of safety equipment, including life jackets.

For longer bans, decisions will continue to be taken by an independent committee set up by the airline, which will include a representative from another carrier.

The existing provision allowing airlines to impose a temporary ban of up to 45 days while awaiting a committee decision will remain unchanged.

Depending on the severity of the offence, flying bans can extend up to three months for Level 1 violations such as verbal harassment or unruly intoxication, and up to six months for Level 2 offences involving physical abuse or sexual harassment.

For Level 3 and Level 4 offences involving life-threatening behaviour or breach of the cockpit, the minimum ban can be two years or more, with no upper limit.

Passengers can also be barred from flying on national security grounds.

The DGCA has invited stakeholder comments on the proposed changes until March 16.