An Indian Army officer, who allegedly assaulted four SpiceJet employees at Srinagar airport on July 26, has been banned from flying with the airline – be it domestic or international – for five years by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

“The passenger who hit the airline staff has been declared unruly, and it has been decided to put him on the airline’s no-fly list. He will not be able to fly in any of the SpiceJet domestic or international flights for five years,” HT quoted an official as saying. 

The decision came after a three-member internal committee set up under the Civil Aviation Rules (CAR) to look into the case. The committee, which had two retired judges and a representative from another airline, reviewed the case and recommended the ban on the “unruly” passenger.

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‘Murderous assault on staff’: SpiceJet

An FIR was registered against the army officer, who is posted in Kashmir, under Section 115 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).  The airline also wrote to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and described the incident as a “murderous assault” on its staff.

According to SpiceJet, the army officer was carrying two cabin bags weighing 16 kg. Since this was double the permitted limit, he was asked to pay the baggage fee at the boarding gate of the flight to Delhi. However, the passenger refused and forcefully entered the aerobridge without completing the boarding process. A CISF officer later escorted him back after he breached aviation security protocols.

That’s when the passenger (army officer) physically assaulted four ground staff members. The airline’s employees sustained a spinal fracture and jaw injuries. A video of the incident soon went viral on social media. It shows him hitting the staff with a queue stand, combined with punches and repeated kicks. 

SpiceJet issued statement

After the “murderous assault” on four staffers, the airline issued a statement saying that one employee, who was trying to help another who felt unconscious because of the physical assault, was attacked so hard that blood started oozing from his nose and mouth. 

“A passenger grievously assaulted four SpiceJet employees at the boarding gate of flight SG-386 from Srinagar to Delhi on July 26, 2025. Our staff members suffered a spinal fracture and serious jaw injuries after being attacked with punches, repeated kicks and a queue stand,” the SpiceJet said in a statement.

The airline added that the army officer continued kicking and hitting the staffer who fell unconscious. “Another staff member suffered bleeding from the nose and mouth after receiving a forceful kick to the jaw while bending down to assist the colleague who had fainted.”

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379 ‘unruly’ passengers on no-fly list

In India, passenger behaviour on flights is regulated by DGCA under the CAR titled “Handling of Unruly/Disruptive Passengers”. These rules classify misconduct into three levels of severity. 

The first one covers minor offences such as verbal harassment, intoxication, or obscene gestures, attracting a ban of up to three months. The second involves physical abuse like pushing, hitting, or sexual harassment, which can lead to a ban of up to six months. The third includes life-threatening or extremely violent acts such as attempts to breach the cockpit, murderous assaults, or sabotage, and carries a minimum two-year ban, often extended further depending on the gravity of the case.

Once a passenger is found guilty by an airline’s internal committee, their name is placed on the no-fly list, which is shared across all Indian airlines, making the ban enforceable nationwide. Depending on the severity of the offence, bans can range from a few months to over two years. 

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol informed the Rajya Sabha earlier this month that 48 people have been placed on the ‘no-fly list’ till July 30 this year. This brings the total count for the last five years to 379. 

He also shared that 82 passengers were banned in 2024, 110 in 2023, 63 in 2022, 66 in 2021, and 10 in 2020.