‘Peegate’: AI closes internal probe into actions of staff on board

Air India has closed its internal investigation into the actions of its operating crew and supporting administrative staff in the alleged urination case of November 26, 2022, the airline said in a statement on Tuesday. In its statement, the carrier said, “Air India has closed its internal investigation into the actions by its crew operating and administrative staff supporting AI102 on November 26, 2022.The crew were approached by the complainant seeking assistance after allegedly being urinated on by a fellow passenger.” It said in the absence of any witnesses, the crew took the complainant’s allegation at face value and assisted her by providing fresh clothes, helping clean her belongings and relocating her to another business class seat of the same type as her original one. “When awoken and confronted with the allegation, the alleged perpetrator was calm, co-operative and professed ignorance of the allegation. He had not been served excessive alcohol by crew and did not appear intoxicated to the crew. The Commander was kept regularly informed by cabin crew. In the judgement of the crew, the alleged perpetrator posed no risk to flight safety at any time,” the carrier stated further. “Air India acknowledges that, in immediately taking the complainant’s accusation at face value and providing assistance, it follows that the matter should have been reported as a prima facie case of a passenger “…behaving in a disorderly manner toward… other passengers” and, as such, meeting the description of unruly behaviour at paragraph 4.9(d)(ii) of Civil Aviation Requirements, Section 3, Series M, Part VI (the CAR).