The All India Cabin Crew Association (AICCA) on Monday termed the findings of an internal committee in the Air India urination case “flawed”. The cabin crew body has said that the derostered Air India crew in connection with the urination case be reinstated on flights, and termed the action against the pilot-in-command (PIC) an unusually harsh punishment.
The AICCA said there is no 9B seat in the business class compartment of the aircraft in question.
“Our attention is also drawn to the press reports and extracts of the internal complaints committee (ICC) which are incredulous and are flawed. There is no seat 9B on the Air India 777-300 ER and our 15 crew and four pilots did not personally appear before the ICC committee to depose before them either. That report, which has been submitted to the DGCA, also respectfully, seems based on wrong facts and incorrect assumptions and hence a nullity,” the cabin crew body said in a letter issued on Monday.
The AICCA, in their letter, said, “The AICCA has perused the DGCA press note on the Al-102 (26/11/22) and noted with deep regret the unusually harsh punishment on the Pilot in Command.”
“The AICCA is constrained to state that Cabin Crew did not depose before the NCW Committee and we regret the inference that Cabin Crew were allegedly found wanting, when the facts are completely the opposite,” the letter said.
“It must be noted that our crew filed detailed reports on the incident on landing to those concerned and acted on instructions. The AICCA places on record that all the crew and pilots acted judiciously, within the law and in the best interests of the safety, security and well being of all the passengers and crew on the flight,” the letter said.
Earlier, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on January 20 had imposed a penalty of Rs 30 lakh on Air India as well as suspended the license of the pilot-in-command of the New York-Delhi flight for three months in the Air India urination case which occurred on November 26, 2022.
Moreover, the regulator also imposed a penalty of Rs 3 lakh on Director-in-flight services of Air India for failing to discharge her duties.
As per the regulator, the incident of passenger misbehaviour which occurred on AI-102 flight on November 26, 2022 from New York to New Delhi, came to the notice of DGCA on January 4, 2023 wherein a male passenger conducted himself in a disorderly manner and allegedly relieved himself on a female passenger.