London-bound Air India flight returns to Delhi as passenger assaults cabin crew

A London-bound Air India flight returned to Delhi today after an unruly passenger allegedly assaulted two cabin crew members,  the Tata-owned airline said.

Air India said in a statement that a flight to London’s Heathrow airport returned shortly after take-off due to “serious unruly behaviour of a passenger.”

The passenger was handed over to the police and a case has been registered against him.

Aviation flight tracker app Flightradar24 indicates that the Air India flight turned back while it was flying near Peshawar in Pakistan.

“Not heeding to verbal and written warnings, the passenger continued with unruly behaviour including causing physical harm to two of the cabin crew members. The pilot in command decided to return to Delhi and the passenger was handed over to the security personnel upon landing. An FIR has also been lodged with the police,” the airline said.

“We regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers and have rescheduled the flight to depart for London this afternoon,” the statement added.

The airline said the step had to be taken as the “safety, security and dignity of everyone on board is important to Air India.”

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Air India Boeing 787 had taken off at 6.35 am and returned to Delhi at 9.42 am.  An investigation has been ordered into the incident.