The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked Air India to act against unruly passengers who banged on the cockpit door and misbehaved with crew of a delayed Delhi-Mumbai flight on Thursday (January 2).

According to official, unruly passengers allegedly manhandled cabin crew members and threatened to break open the cockpit door of Air India's Boeing 747 aircraft after their Delhi-Mumbai flight on Thursday was delayed due to a technical problem.

“The AI865 flight on Thursday got delayed as it developed a technical snag. It had to return to the bay. Passengers started knocking on the cockpit door, asking and taunting the pilots to come out,” official said.

 “One male passenger even said that he will break open the cockpit door if the pilots didn't come out,” the official said, adding the situation inside the plane “went from bad to worse”.

 According to the official, a female passenger allegedly even manhandled a cabin crew member, grabbing her arm in order to open the main exit gate quickly.

Videos have emerged showing some young passengers banging on the cockpit door, asking the pilots to come out. “Captain please one out… Loser come out… Come out or we will break the door…” they yell to the cockpit crew. Cockpit is on the upper deck of B747s where AI has its business class.  One passenger in the videos even knows that doing so is against the law and can be heard saying “I do not have a criminal record and don't want one.”

When AI finally asks passengers to alight from the aircraft, another video shows a passenger trying to open the door even as the crew are in the process of doing so. Her co-passengers asked this person to step aside and let the cabin crew open the door. “Don't do this they will open it,” co-passengers are seen telling this person.

 Air India spokesperson said the operating crew has been asked to submit  a detailed report on the reported misbehaviour by some passengers.  “The flight AI 865 of 2nd January was considerably delayed due to technical reasons. Air India management have asked the operating crew for a detailed report on the reported misbehaviour by some passengers. Further action would be considered after getting the report,” the spokesperson said.

 An official of aviation regulator DGCA said that they have asked Air India to take action against the “unruly behaviour” of passengers.