Fight on flight: High drama on Jammu-Mumbai flight as two trade blows mid-air – Times of India

NEW DELHI: On numerous flights you might have hated the passenger just in front of your or right behind in economy class for reasons like a seat getting reclined when you’re having a meal or tapping of seat with the knees. This usually leads to a heated argument or complaint to the crew. However, an IndiGo Jammu-Mumbai flight on the penultimate day of last year saw two passengers – one seated on 3A and the other on 4A – getting into fisticuffs over some issue.
“These two passengers on 6E-356 of December 30, 2021, got into a heated argument. The cabin crew unsuccessfully tried to diffuse the situation. The passenger on 3A pushed the co-passenger on 4A and things went out of control. They soon started fighting and hitting each other,” said a person in the know.
The crew then informed the pilot-in-command and the seat of the passenger on 4A was changed to 12C.
Seated safely apart, the two did not fight till the aircraft reached Mumbai and were handed to security agencies on arrival.
It could not be immediately ascertained why the two got into a fight.
An IndiGo spokesperson said: “Flight 6E-356 from Jammu to Mumbai witnessed a physical altercation between two passengers on board. The flight crew intervened by separating them and providing first aid to both for minor injuries. Both passengers were cooperating and disciplined after the settlement. The matter is under investigation.”
There have been several fights between passengers seated right in front or behind. About two years ago, a fed-up passenger on an American eagle flight in the US famously punched the seat of the woman in front of him multiple times to get her to put her seat in upright position.
It remains to be seen if IndiGo begins action under unruly passenger rules against these two flyers under which they can be barred from flying for some time. The first level of disruptive behaviour includes physical gestures and verbal harassment. The next level has “physically abusive behaviour” and the highest grade is for “life-threatening behaviour and attempted or actual breach of cockpit”.
A passenger charged under the first level of unruly behaviour by passengers can be grounded for up to three months; up to six months under the second level and for third level, grounding can be upwards of two years with no maximum limit (meaning up to a lifetime). For repeat offenders in the same level, the period of grounding can be doubled.