Chennai: Tempertantrums, drunken rants, physical and verbal abuse by passengers are occupational hazards for flight attendants, especially women, of all airlines. Air India alone recorded 387 instances of passengers behaving indecently with cabin crew in the past five years, according to data provided by the national carrier in response to an RTI query. The airline registered 36 complaints till May this year.
The nature of harassment varies, with some passengers taking photographs of flight attendants with or without their knowledge. In August 2013, a passenger went around clicking pictures of a flight attendant and refused to listen to her pleas to stop, when asked.
One drunk passenger on an Air India flight on April 25 grew boisterous and created a scene by proposing to a flight attendant. In another instance, a passenger demanded that a flight attendant change her sari and dress up like he directed.
"Some passengers yell at us and demand that we serve them liquor," said Neha Sharma (name changed), a flight attendant with Air India. "When you are subjected to such harassment in front of others, it can be very embarrassing."
08/09/14 Sindhu Kannan/Times of India
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The nature of harassment varies, with some passengers taking photographs of flight attendants with or without their knowledge. In August 2013, a passenger went around clicking pictures of a flight attendant and refused to listen to her pleas to stop, when asked.
One drunk passenger on an Air India flight on April 25 grew boisterous and created a scene by proposing to a flight attendant. In another instance, a passenger demanded that a flight attendant change her sari and dress up like he directed.
"Some passengers yell at us and demand that we serve them liquor," said Neha Sharma (name changed), a flight attendant with Air India. "When you are subjected to such harassment in front of others, it can be very embarrassing."
08/09/14 Sindhu Kannan/Times of India
