Airport News: Now you will have to be very alert during the flight journey. It may happen that a small mistake creates big trouble for you. The trouble is such that in future you may be banned from the airport and you will be forced to travel by train. Yesterday, something similar happened with Lieutenant Colonel Ritesh Kumar Singh of the Indian Army. Lieutenant Colonel Ritesh had assaulted four SpiceJet employees at Srinagar Airport. After which, along with SpiceJet, Air India, Air India Express, Indigo and Akasa Airlines have also put Lieutenant Colonel Ritesh in their no-fly list.
Here let us tell you that not only assault, but also many other activities, due to which you can be declared an irregular passenger and put in the no-fly list. Talking about the year 2020 till now, DGCA has so far included the names of about 380 unruly passengers in the no-fly list. Most of these are banned for three months to two years, but in serious cases, punishment of up to five years is also given. According to aviation security experts, cases of chaos in flights have increased rapidly since Covid. In 2023, a record 110 passengers had to be put in the no-fly list. There were allegations against him of rioting while drunk, threatening crew members, not wearing seat belt and smoking.
Figures of unruly passengers increasing year after year
- 2020: 10 passengers
- 2021 : 66 passengers
- 2022: 63 passengers
- 2023: 110 passengers (highest)
- 2024: 82 passengers
- 2025: 49 passengers
These actions can land you on the no-fly list
| level | category | antics | Punishment |
| Level-1 | verbal or mild physical abuse | drunken abuse, obscene gestures, shouting | flight ban for 3 months |
| level 2 | physical violence | Pushing, slapping, hurting an employee or co-passenger | Ban for up to 6 months (more in severe cases) |
| Level-3 | life threatening behavior | Damage to aircraft equipment, attempts to enter the cockpit, false bomb threats etc. | Minimum 2 years, no upper limit (can be lifetime) |
Air travel is a privilege, not a right!
A senior official of the Civil Aviation Ministry said on the condition of anonymity, air travel is a privilege for passengers, not a right. He said that strictness is necessary against those who play with the safety of the crew or co-passengers. In the last few years, many MPs, industrialists and celebrities have also come in the no-fly list, but in most of the cases the names have been removed after three-six months of punishment. At the same time, DGCA has banned Lieutenant Colonel Ritesh Kumar Singh for five years, which is considered to be the harshest punishment so far.
Passenger has the right to appeal
After the name appears in the no-fly list, the passenger has full right of appeal. According to DGCA rules, an appeal can be made to the Appellate Committee constituted by the Civil Aviation Ministry within 60 days. This committee is chaired by a retired High Court judge. If dissatisfied with the decision of the committee, the passenger can also go to the High Court. However, till now most of the appeals have been rejected.
