Air India has launched a probe after videos of unruly passengers threatening to break open the cockpit door went viral on social media platforms. In several viral videos being shared on social media, a group of angry passengers are seen threatening to open the cockpit door. In another video, a woman is seen fighting it out with a cabin crew member in a bid to open the main exit gate.
The alleged incident took place in Air India flight AI865 on 2 January. A statement by the national carrier, according to news agency PTI, read, “The AI865 flight on Thursday got delayed as it developed a technical snag. It had to return to the bay. Passengers started knocking on the cockpit door, asking and taunting the pilots to come out.”
Watch : Passengers on Delhi-Mumbai Air India flight manhandled cabin crew members and threatened to break open the cockpit door. #ITVideo
More videos: https://t.co/GHplfKz9X1 pic.twitter.com/OHZnlVSoWz— India Today (@IndiaToday) January 4, 2020
Dhananjay Kumar of Air India was quoted by news agency ANI as saying, “A video of a few passengers of AI 865 is being circulated. The flight delayed on 2nd Jan due to technical reasons. Air India management has asked the crew for details on reported misbehaviour by some passengers. Further action would be taken after inquiry.”
#WATCH Dhananjay Kumar, Air India: A video of few passengers of AI 865 is being circulated. The flight delayed on 2nd Jan due to technical reasons. AI management have asked crew for details on reported misbehaviour by some passengers. Further action would be taken after inquiry. pic.twitter.com/aufkrO2QfX
— ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2020
India’s aviation watchdog, the DGCA, too has intervened and asked Air India to identify the unruly passengers to take action against them. One male passenger is heard taunting the pilots to come out of the cockpit while another allegedly threatened to break open the cockpit door.