New Delhi:
Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran admitted today Air India’s response to a drunk flyer urinating on a woman should have been quicker. On a Nov. 26 flight from New York to Delhi on Air India, Shankar Mishra allegedly unzipped his pants and urinated on an elderly woman in business class. He later asked the woman not to report him to the police as it would affect his wife and child.
“Air India’s response should have been much quicker. We have not addressed this situation as it should have been,” Chandrasekaran said in a statement.
“The Tata Group and Air India stand with full belief in the safety and welfare of our passengers and crew,” he added.
Tata Sons chairman also said they will review and fix all processes to prevent such incidents. At the request of the passenger, the crew decided not to call law enforcement upon landing, which banned Mishra from flying for 30 days, prompting outrage sparked from social media users saying this wasn’t enough.
Shankar Mishra was arrested by Delhi police on Friday, six weeks after the incident. A Delhi court later sent him to judicial custody for 14 days, saying police custody was not required for further investigation.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson apologized on Saturday for the incident and said four cabin crew and one pilot had been removed from the list and the airline was reviewing its “inflight alcohol service policy”.
Earlier, in an internal memo, Mr Wilson had urged airline staff to report any inappropriate behavior on planes to authorities at the earliest, even if the matter appears to have been resolved.