The DGCA’s No Fly List comprises the names of passengers identified as disruptive and are temporarily prohibited from boarding flights to ensure the safety and check unruly and disruptive Behavior on aircraft. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) maintains and compiles the No-fly list based on inputs given by airlines about the incidents.
Features of the No Fly List
- The rules have been notified in 2017, under the Civil Aviation Requirements, Section 3, Air Transport Series M Part VI.
- Unruly passenger is defined as a passenger who fails to respect the rules of conduct at an airport or on board an aircraft or to follow the instructions of the airport staff or crew members and thereby disturbs the good order and discipline.
- The rules classify three different grades for the offences:
- Level 1: Unruly behavior
- Level 2: Physically abusive behavior
- Level 3: Life-threatening behavior
- To be able to assess if a passenger is due to be put on the No-Fly List or not, the incident has to be first enlisted on an internal committee of the airline on the initiative of the pilot-in-command filing a complaint.
- It is this committee that will decide within 30 days the gravity of the charges against the passengers and the ban to be placed on them. Level 1 offences attract up to three months on the no-fly list, Level 2 up to six months and Level 3 for at least two years or more. However, passengers can also be banned while the committee reviews the matter, but for no more than 30 days.
- Once the passenger is on the No-Fly List of the airline, other airlines also have the option to ban him from their flights, even if such passengers hold confirmed tickets. Subsequent offences cause doubling of the ban period.
- The recourse for the passenger is to appeal the ban with an Appellate committee constituted by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and further appeal in the high court.
