After two back-to-back urination incidents, Air India de-rosters pilot, 4 crew members

New Delhi, January 7: Facing massive backlash following two back-to-back mid-air urination incidents, Air India has issued show-cause notices to four of its cabin crew and one pilot and de-rostered them pending investigations.

Air India chief executive officer (CEO) Campbell Wilson on Friday instructed the airline staff to report any instances of "any improper behaviour on board to authorities at the earliest even if the matter appears to be resolved". In a letter to Air India employees, the CEO stated that those who violate flight rules must be dealt with timely action.

Campbell stated: "This week has, 'regrettably', been dominated by media headlines of which you are no doubt familiar. The repulsion felt by the affected passenger is totally understandable and we share her distress."

He emphasised the importance of reporting any unusual incidents on flights to authorities, even if the crew believes the incident has been resolved.

"Whilst the story is more complicated than has been reported, there are clearly some lessons we can and must learn. Most importantly is that, if an incident on our aircraft involves improper behaviour of such magnitude, we must report it to authorities at the earliest opportunity, even if we genuinely believe that the matter has been settled between the parties involved. The same applies in the case of passengers deemed to meet the threshold of 'Unruly'," the letter added.

"We must also be clear on the standard of behaviour that is expected on our aircraft and take firm, decisive and timely action against those who do not comply," he further said.

"Though there are numerous cases in which we have done exactly this, I have asked that these, and other relevant aspects of the Safety and Emergency Procedures Manual, be immediately reiterated by operating departments and reinforced in recurrent training, and I ask each of you to reflect on what you would do if faced with such situations. As in any other area, knowledge and preparation underpin confidence and outcome," the CEO said.

Meanwhile, on Friday night Delhi Police arrested Shankar Mishra, the Mumbai resident, who had allegedly urinated on a co-passenger onboard the November 26 Air India flight between New York and Delhi.

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