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Air India stated it has adjusted its in-flight alcohol service coverage within the wake of a mid-air urination scandal that has value the service over $40,000 in fines.

The incident, during which a drunk senior US financial institution government was accused of urinating on a 72-year-old girl seated in enterprise class on a flight final yr from New York to New Delhi, has been dubbed “peegate” by native media.

The airline has confronted extreme criticism for its dealing with of the girl’s grievance and for permitting the banker, Indian nationwide Shankar Mishra, to disembark as regular when the plane landed.

But Air India defended itself in an announcement on Tuesday, saying “in the judgement of the crew, the alleged perpetrator posed no risk to flight safety at any time”.

“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 assertion added.

The airline did acknowledge, nonetheless, its failure to report the incident, which passed off on November 26, as required by the Indian aviation regulator.

The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) final week fined Air India three million rupees ($37,000), and the airline’s director of in-flight companies a further 300,000 rupees.

The flight’s pilot additionally had his licence suspended for 3 months for “failing to discharge his duties” to make sure security and self-discipline.

The airline has since referred to as the penalty “excessive” and vowed to assist its workers mount an attraction.

The DGCA on Tuesday imposed a further high-quality of 1 million rupees on the airline for failing to report two extra incidents of unruly passenger behaviour on a separate flight from Paris to New Delhi on December 6.

On that event, an allegedly drunk passenger was discovered smoking within the bathroom, whereas one other relieved himself on the vacant seat and blanket of a fellow feminine passenger, the regulator stated.

“We have reviewed our existing in-flight alcohol service policy taking reference from other carriers’ practice and input from the US National Restaurants Association’s guidelines,” Air India stated in an announcement.

The airline will now undertake the NRA’s “traffic light” system to coach crew members to recognise and handle attainable circumstances of intoxication, Air India stated.

The incidents have led to the primary main public relations disaster on the former flag service since its privatisation final yr.

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