Air India pee-gate: Cabin crew union calls suspension of pilot 'harsh punishment', demands crew be rostered back

Air India pee-gate: The All India Cabin Crew Association (AICCA) on Monday demanded that its crew members, who were de-rostered after the Air India urination incident, be rostered back on flights. "We demand that our de-rostered crew are now rostered back on flights, now that orders are out," the association said.  

Earlier this month, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) imposed a penalty of Rs 30 lakh on Air India and suspended the license of the pilot-in-command of the New York-Delhi flight in which a person allegedly urinated on a female co-passenger. 

The incident happened on November 26. Soon after the victim said she wasn't satisfied with the way the case was handled by the crew and captain, Air India de-rostered the crew.

Today, the association said that it perused the DGCA's statement and noted with deep regret the "unusually harsh punishment on the pilot-in-command".

The association said that all the crew and pilots acted judiciously, within the law, and in the best interest of the safety, security, and well-being of all the passengers and crew on the flight. It said this was based on the best evidence available into the alleged incident.
 
"The facts of the case are still being investigated by the Delhi Police, the Delhi Courts, the DGCA and we would not like to prejudge them," the association said, adding that it will be guided by its legal advisors in the matter.  

Referring to reports that blamed the crew for the events, the association said that it was constrained to state that the crew did not depose before the NCW Committee and it regretted the inference that the crew was allegedly found wanting, "when the facts were completely the opposite".  

Rejecting the charge that the crew did not act appropriately, the association said that the crew filed detailed reports on the incident on landing to those concerned and acted on the instructions.

The crew union further said that its attention was drawn to the reports and extracts of the internal Complaints Committee "which are incredulous and is flawed". 

"There is no seat 9B on the Air India 777-300 ER and our (15) Crew & (4) pilots did not personally appear before the ICC committee to depose before them either," the association said.  

The report, which has been submitted to DGCA, also respectfully, seems based on wrong facts and incorrect assumptions and hence a nullity, the association said.