Passengers on Indian airlines are usually not known for their exemplary behaviour, but a recent incident on an IndiGo flight crossed all limits of decency.
According to a report in The Times of India, a man on the Delhi bound flight from Bhubaneswar allegedly stripped himself in the lavatory of the aircraft and sought the help of the female flight attendants.
The man had initially asked flight attendants' assistance to tie the seat belt, as he couldn't manage it on his own. Later he went to the lavatory and pressed the call bell for further assistance. When a flight attendant went there, she discovered him in "an objectionable state", refused to go inside, and "politely requested him to maintain some level of decency," an official statement from the airline said.
While landing in Delhi, the man passed lewd comments at the cabin crew as well, after which the latter alerted the captain, who, in turn, informed airport security. The man was handed over to the police on arrival.
In recent months, some Indian airlines have started carrying plastic handcuffs to restrain unruly or badly behaved passengers on board. They have also sought a curb of sale of alcohol at the departure lounges to preempt the problem of having to deal with passengers boarding the flight in an inebriated state.
According to date from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), airlines across the world have reported over 10,000 cases of passenger misbehaviour on board in 2015. The incidents range from verbal abuse to physical aggression to drug and alcohol consumption prior to boarding a flight.
In January this year, 70 passengers were offloaded from another IndiGo flight from Hyderabad to Raipur after a brawl broke out among them over seats.
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