Delhi based female passenger booked for opening cage of her pet dog in Goa-bound flight
PUNE: A female passenger from Delhi has been charged for causing a disturbance on a flight due to her dog. A complaint has been filed against the woman for endangering her fellow passengers on a flight bound for Goa.
Reportedly, the accused opened her pet carrier in an attempt to calm her noisy dog, which caused panic among the passengers. The incident occurred on a Delhi-Goa flight on Saturday, and the woman boarded the flight with a family member from Indira Gandhi International Airport.
As per the airline’s standard procedure, the carrier was meant to remain closed and kept in the cabin. However, once the plane took off, the uncomfortable canine began making noises. In response, Alisha opened the carrier and placed the dog on her lap, which was met with objections from her co-passengers regarding the presence of the animal.
The incident reportedly occurred on an Akasa Air flight, and after landing, the flight manager filed a complaint at the airport. The woman has been charged under section 336 of the Indian Penal Code for endangering the lives of the crew and fellow passengers.
An Akasa Air Spokesperson on the issue commented, “An incident involving a pet owner occurred on flight QP1378 operating from Delhi to Goa on September 9, 2023. During the flight, the passenger declined to follow established safety protocols by repeatedly removing their pet from its container while the aircraft was in flight. This action not only posed a potential safety risk but also disturbed other passengers and crew members. Our cabin crew requested that the passenger return the pet to its designated container, in accordance with our established pet carriage policy. Unfortunately, the passenger was uncooperative. According to our process, upon landing our crew reported the incident to the relevant authorities. At Akasa Air, we have well defined protocols related to the carriage of pets on board to ensure the safety of customers and crew members and have zero tolerance against uncooperative passenger behaviour.”
