Akasa Air crew pin down drunk passenger as Diwali flight turns chaotic

It was supposed to be a festive flight out of Bengaluru, passengers strapped in, cabin lights dimmed, ready for take-off to Delhi. But moments before the aircraft could lift off, chaos gripped Akasa Air flight QP 1599. A passenger, allegedly drunk, had to be physically restrained by the crew after he turned unruly.

The incident unfolded on the evening of October 20, as families and travellers headed home for Diwali celebrations. What began as quiet boarding soon spiralled into commotion, passengers rising from their seats, crew rushing down the aisle, and confusion spreading. The take-off halted and delayed flight for 39 minutes.

According to officials, the man began creating a disturbance just before departure, prompting crew intervention. “The situation escalated to a point where restraint became necessary to ensure the safety of everyone on board,” an airline official said.

In a statement, Akasa Air confirmed the incident, saying, “An incident of unruly behaviour involving a passenger took place on Akasa Air flight QP 1599 operating from Bengaluru to Delhi on October 20. Our crew followed the required safety protocols in line with our policies to ensure the safety and comfort of our passengers. We stand firm on our zero-tolerance policies against unruly passenger behaviour.”

The airline maintained that its crew acted strictly in line with the standard operating procedures designed to defuse such situations and prevent escalation.

One passenger, Vijay, who posted a video online, described how routine turned to panic in seconds. “It started like any normal day, check-in done, boarding smooth, lights dimmed. Then suddenly, whispers turned into noise, and half the passengers stood up to see what was happening. The crew rushed in, people began recording, and all I could think was, is this really happening inside the plane? It was turbulence before take-off,” he wrote.

This comes barely three days after another troubling in-flight episode, when a man in his 40s was arrested for allegedly touching a woman IT professional inappropriately on a Chennai-Hyderabad flight on October 17.

The civil aviation authorities have been grappling with a steady rise in such cases. As many as 375 passengers have been placed on the “no-fly list” in the past five years, as per government data.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol had told Parliament that 2023 saw the highest number of such bans -- 110 passengers. The number dipped to 82 in 2024 and stands at 48 till July this year.