India is one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the
world, fuelled by factors such as rising income levels and
competitive airfares. With airlines, particularly low cost ones,
expanding their fleet and network by the day, they are increasingly
confronted with instances of unruly behaviour by passengers.
The issue received some much deserved attention in the aftermath
of a deplorable assault on an Air India staffer by Shiv Sena MP
Ravindra Gaikwad. In a somewhat belligerent and unprecedented
counterattack that pleased the general public, Air India and all
private airlines banned the MP from flying on their aircraft.
While the ban was short-lived because of the protagonists
involved, and the perpetrator walked free despite the media
blitzkrieg, the incident highlighted the issue of legality of
no-fly lists in India. It was soon realised that no-fly lists had
no legal basis and that something had to be done soon to fix
it.
