Three years after a similar incident, Air India is again under scrutiny after another instance of unruly passenger behaviour onboard one of its international flights.

Incident onboard Air India’s flight to Bangkok

The latest incident took place on flight AI2336, which operated from Delhi to Bangkok on April 9, 2025. According to reports, a business class passenger seated in seat 2D on this A320neo-operated flight allegedly urinated on the passenger seated in seat 1D during the flight’s descent into Bangkok.

Once the crew was informed of the situation, senior cabin members assisted the affected passenger by providing towels and facilitating a change of attire. The passenger seated next to the intoxicated pax raised safety concerns and asked for him to be moved out of the Business Class cabin. Following this, the passenger who couldn’t control his bladder was shifted to the Economy cabin. While he later apologised for his actions, the affected passenger declined to file a formal complaint upon arrival in Bangkok.

Air India issued a statement confirming the incident and noting that all standard operating procedures were followed. In a statement issued, an Air India spokesperson said,

The crew followed all laid down procedures, and the matter has been reported to the authorities. In addition to warning the unruly passenger, our crew offered to assist an aggrieved passenger to take up a grievance with authorities in Bangkok, which was declined at the time

Air India further mentioned that its Independent Committee would review the matter to assess further action against the involved passenger, in line with regulations issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). In the meantime, the airline has barred the passenger from its planes for 30 days.

Recurring Concerns Around In-Flight Behaviour

This isn’t the first such incident involving Air India. Over three years ago, a Business Class passenger on a New York–Delhi flight allegedly urinated on a 72-year-old woman mid-flight. That episode, often called the “pee-gate” incident, led to public outrage and regulatory scrutiny. The accused in that case was placed on a temporary no-fly list and subsequently arrested.

The latest incident again highlights airlines’ challenges with managing in-flight misconduct and the importance of prompt action, crew preparedness, and robust post-incident review mechanisms.

Bottomline

Air India witnessed a passenger who couldn’t hold his bladder and consequently ended up relieving himself on the descent stage of the flight on another passenger. The affected passenger preferred not to press charges, but the airline is working on examining if he should go up on the no-fly list.

Do you think airlines will take an even tougher stance on serving drinks on board this time?

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