Pee-Gate: It is airline's discretion how much alcohol you can get in-flight, says DGCA

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in response to a Supreme Court (SC) petition, stated that airlines have the authority to restrict the amount of alcohol served on flights to prevent passenger inebriation and subsequent unruly behavior. This statement follows incidents on two Air India flights where passengers, allegedly intoxicated, urinated on fellow travelers.

Unfortunately, there’s no common crackdown rule or measure by the airlines’ regulatory body. It all depends on the airlines you’ve booked your flight with.

Regulatory Framework

DGCA mentioned that Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) are in place to deal with the handling of unruly passengers. However, the discretion to set the limit on alcoholic drinks served onboard lies with each airline. Clause 4.3 of CAR allows airlines to formulate a policy to prevent passengers from becoming inebriated, which increases the risk of them committing nuisance.

Petitioner's Request
The victim in her petition requested the apex court to direct the aviation regulatory body to frame a 'zero tolerance' SOP and rules to strictly deal with onboard unruly/disruptive behavior and its implementation by all airlines.

Allegations Against Air India Crew
She alleged that the Air India crew mishandled the situation by serving excess hard drinks to the accused co-passenger. They then forced her to enter into a settlement with him, failing in their duty to report the incident to the police. She emphasized that DGCA should consider "drunkenness" as unruly or disruptive behavior on an aircraft.

Air India's Alcohol Policy
According to Air India's alcohol policy, only one drink can be served at a time. This 'one drink' is defined as a 12-ounce beer, a full glass of wine or champagne. Additionally, passengers under 18 years of age should not be served alcohol.

Limits on Drinking
On flights lasting less than four hours, no more than two drinks should be served to a passenger. Once three drinks are served, there must be a break of at least three hours before serving additional drinks. Notably, these restrictions may not apply to passengers traveling in business class.

While there is no universal rule on in-flight alcohol limits, airlines have the discretion to set their policies to prevent unruly behavior. The incident highlights the need for clear guidelines and strict enforcement to ensure the safety and comfort of all passengers.

(With inputs from TOI)