Two drunk passengers arrested after disturbance on flight to Mumbai

Pair bought duty-free alcohol and began drinking as soon as the aircraft took off

An IndiGo Airlines aircraft prepares to land, in Ahmedabad, India. Reuters

Two men travelling on a flight from Dubai to Mumbai have been arrested on charges of verbally abusing crew and fellow passengers, Indian police said.

John D'souza, 49, and Dattatreya Bapardekar, 47, both from Maharashtra, were on board an IndiGo flight on Wednesday.

They purchased duty-free alcohol and began drinking as soon as the aircraft took off, ignoring rules forbidding drinking on the flight, police said.

When crew members asked the pair to stop drinking, the men began hurling abuses at them.

The passengers were arrested on charges of endangering the life and safety of others, police said.

“The two flyers were arrested under aircraft rules for being drunk and misbehaving with the crew,” a police officer told The National.

It is the latest example of misconduct on Indian flights.

Earlier this month, a US resident of Indian origin was arrested for smoking in the lavatory and allegedly tried to open the emergency exit on a London-to-Mumbai Air India flight.

Another passenger was caught smoking in the lavatory of a Kolkata-New Delhi flight on March 4.