The All India Cabin Crew Association (AICCA) on Monday called the suspension of the pilot of the New York to Delhi flight over the urination incident a “harsh punishment”.
The AICCA has called this claim “incredulous” and “flawed”.
By Poulomi Saha: The All India Cabin Crew Association (AICCA), the union representing cabin crew members of air carrier, has criticised the suspension of the pilot of the New York to Delhi flight which witnessed the infamous urination incident.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on January 20 suspended the license of the pilot-in-command, Air India 102 New York – New Delhi flight scheduled for November 26, for three months.
The suspension was for “failing to discharge his duties per Rule 141 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937 and applicable DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements.” The regulator’s decision has been deemed unfair by some quarters of the aviation fraternity, who have voiced their opinion since.
Former executive director at Air India, Jitender Bhargava, tweeted what he claimed to be an excerpt of the internal complaints committee report of Air India into the incident where a male passenger, Shankar Mishra, allegedly urinated on a female co-passenger on board under the influence of alcohol.
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“Whether seat No 9B was vacant or some passenger was sitting on it has not been made clear. Ms Ila Banerjee, aged about 85 years, seated on seat No 9C, was sleeping. Seat No 9B must be a seat between Seat No 9A and seat No 9C,” read an excerpt tweeted by Bhargava.
“Therefore, it was possible for the respondent-passenger being in an inebriated condition to reach seat No 9A to urinate on the passenger seated on seat No 9A under the belief that he was using a toilet. Later on, he was awakened by the crew and asked about what he had done; he told that he did not remember anything,” it read.
“Poor lack of knowledge: Non-existent 9B seat was vacant, allowing Mishra to pee on 9A pax(passenger). Did no AI (Air India) official realise this blunder? Challenging the part of the excerpt”, Jitender Bhargava asked further questioning, “How wise were three ‘experts’ on the internal committee? Why have such experts to decide on crucial issues?”
The AICCA has called this claim “incredulous” and “flawed”.
“There is no seat 9B on the Air India 777-300ER, and our (15) crew and (4) pilots did not personally appear before the ICC committee to depose before them either. That report, which has been submitted to DGCA, also respectfully, seems based on wrong facts and incorrect assumptions and hence a nullity,” said the AICCA.
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The association has also dismissed reports that their crew had deposed before the National Commission for Women. They claimed their crew had witnessed “unprecedented trial by media” since the incident came to light in early January.
“It must be noted our crew filed detailed reports on the incident on landing to those concerned and acted on instructions,” it added.
The cabin crew is believed to have filed a detailed incident report immediately upon landing in New Delhi on 27 November 2022. The report was sent, among others, to the Director, In-Flight Services and Lead Human Resources Head of IFSD at Air India, which was also duly acknowledged.
Statements of the two passengers seated next to Shankar Mishra and the female complainant were also shared. Email exchanges show that even the airline’s chief executive officer, Campbell Wilson, was made aware of the incident on the same date and acknowledged it “warranted attention.”
On 7 January, in a statement issued to the press, Campbell Wilson said that Air India had grounded four cabin crew members and one pilot pending investigation.
The AICCA has now demanded that their cabin crew members be rostered on flights as the orders are out. Based on the internal committee report, Air India has banned Shankar Mishra from flying for four months. The airline said it would also be intimating other airlines in the country.
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