Gaikwad was barred from flying by an aviation industry association, but this action in the absence of any mention of a no-fly list in the statute book raised eyebrows. The airlines took refuge under the extant rules which stated that passengers who are “likely to be unruly” can be “refused embarkation or off-loaded”. The new regulations allow an airline to ban an unruly passenger immediately after an incident following which an airline panel will deliberate on whether the passenger was at fault within 10 days. The Gaikwad incident revealed how some public servants are wont to throw their weight around. Occasionally, even the airlines are at fault, when flights are cancelled or delayed, baggage is misplaced, or when flight service is poor.

Source: dna May 08, 2017 02:48 UTC