Peg to differ: Altitude and alcohol don't mix well

Earlier this week, a 24-year-old Indian passenger urinated on a Japanese co-passenger onboard a Delhi-Bangkok flight. Social media called it ‘ Pee-Gate 2.0 ’ – a shameful reminder of the November 2022 incident, when a senior executive with a multinational financial services company urinated on a woman on a Delhi-New York flight.
Both incidents happened in the business class, which offers in-flight alcohol. In both incidents, the perpetrators were inebriated – enough to be considered unable to handle a drink.

No cap on drinking
We may not want to admit it, but the average Indian has a problematic relationship with alcohol and free access in the
confines of a plane is evidently risky. For instance, on December 20, 2024, Air India Express launched its inaugural flight from Surat to Bangkok. During the four-hour journey, 175 passengers reportedly consumed approximately 15 litres of alcohol before the plane landed in the Thai capital. While there weren’t any untoward incidents, there was a call to regulate complimentary alcohol on international flights from India.

Mid-air chaos and alcohol
Post COVID, with air-travel picking up around the world, airlines and airports have been offering premium add-ons on full-service flights and lounges with unlimited alcohol. But not enough checks and measures are in place to tackle intoxicated passengers on board. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) however has put the onus of deciding on how much alcohol they want to serve in which sector on the airlines.


Air India’s response
Air India confirmed the April 2025 incident, stating that the crew adhered to all established procedures and reported the matter to the relevant authorities. The airline mentioned that the crew issued a warning to the unruly passenger and offered assistance to the aggrieved to file a grievance with authorities in Bangkok, which was declined at the time. An independent committee will assess the incident to determine any further action. Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said, “If there is any wrongdoing, we will take necessary action.”


What the rules say
The DGCA Aircraft rule 24 states that no person may operate or attempt to operate an aircraft within eight hours of consuming alcohol. For passengers on international flights, the airlines can serve alcohol, but they have their own policies on this. On flights lasting less than four hours, no more than two drinks should be served to a passenger, and once three drinks are served, there must be a break of at least three hours before serving additional drinks.

Air India Policy:
After being penalised by the DGCA, Air India revised it alcohol policies in 2023
< Guests aren’t permitted to drink alcohol unless served by cabin crews
< Cabin crew to be trained to identify inebriated passengers
< Service must be tactful, refusing to serve further alcohol if it is potentially unsafe
< Special training was given to the crew to help recognise and manage possible cases of intoxication Source: Agencies


A wider acceptance of alcohol consumption in public settings may be more commonplace. But drinking socially is also drinking responsibly. Indian passengers often tend to forget that
– Seema Jaiswal, entrepreneur, frequent flyer

Cabin crew is trained to identify potential cases of intoxication and take guard. But often, male passengers refuse to comply. It is especially difficult
when they travel in all-male groups or solo
– Anjali Sen, former employee of a private airline