India's first No Fly List is out! Find details here
The aviation ministry has released India's first 'No Fly List' (NFL) with guidelines on unacceptable behavior and possible consequences for disruptive flyers. Offences have been categorized into three levels. Bans will range from three months to two years or possibly even beyond, depending on the level. In case of repeat offenders, the ban will be twice the duration of the previous ban.
The aviation ministry mulled an NFL in light of increasing instances of unruly passengers. Its purpose is to act as a deterrent to those who misbehave on flights and are a safety risk to their co-passengers and the crew. 'Unruly behavior' might include verbal abuse, smoking, failure/refusal to follow safety instructions, violence against crew and other passengers, harassment, or other forms of riotous behavior.
Level 1 is restricted to "unruly physical gestures, verbal harassment and unruly inebriation". Passengers may be banned for three months. Level 2 is concerned with "physically abusive behavior". Resultant bans can last for six months. Level 3 includes "life-threatening behavior". The ban will be for a minimum of two years. An independent committee under a retired district judge will decide on the punishment.
The No-Fly ban will be in addition to any statutory legal action that can be taken against the offender under existing laws.
— Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) September 8, 2017
A complaint about an alleged offense will have to be raised by the pilot in command of the aircraft. Apart from that, "if the Ministry of Home Affairs informs about a certain individual then that person will also be added to the No-Fly List". Under the revised Civil Aviation Requirements, aggrieved persons can appeal against the ban within 60 days.
India is the first country to bring in a safety-based no-fly list. Though the final rules were expected to be finalized by June 30, a delay was caused while attempting to ensure that banned passengers don't fly using other names, thus government ID was mandated.
