by Mumbai: Sahar Police on Monday arrested a 45-year-old woman, Paola Perruccio, from Italy, after creating a row on a flight from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai. The woman allegedly insisted on sitting in business class despite holding an economy class ticket, assaulted cabin crew at the stop, after which she stripped off some of her clothes and walked down the aisle partially naked .
Police received the complaint from cabin crew on board Air Vistara UK flight 256, where the incident took place, after it landed in Mumbai in the early hours of Monday. The flight took off from Abu Dhabi at 2:03 a.m. IST on Monday.
An officer from the Sahar police station clarified the sequence of events: “Around 2:30 am, the woman, who was sitting in economy class, suddenly got up, ran to business class and got into it. Two cabin crew members approached her to ask if she needed any assistance. When the flyer did not respond, they asked him to return to his assigned seat. At this point, she began yelling at them and making aggressive gestures, leading the crew to suspect that she was abusing them.
When crew members tried to stop the woman from misbehaving, she allegedly punched one in the face and spat at the other. Shortly after, when other crew members rushed to the aid of their stunned colleagues, the woman began to undress.
“Much to the horror of the crew and other passengers, the woman began to walk down the aisle without some of her clothing. The horseplay continued for some time before the woman could be subdued and subdued,” the officer said.
Finally, when the flight landed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at around 4:53 a.m., the flyer was handed over to Air Vistara security officials and then to the Sahar police.
After preliminary investigations, police on Monday afternoon registered a case against Perruccio, who according to his passport details was born in Sondrio, Italy.
“The defendant was charged with assault, other acts of interference with a crew member and endangering safety or jeopardizing good order and discipline under the rules of the aviation of 1937, as well as assault and reckless and negligent behavior under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. She was presented in court and released on bail later that day,” the officer said.
Responding to a question from HT, a Vistara spokesperson confirmed the onboard incident. The spokesman said: “In view of the continued unruly conduct and violent behavior, the captain has issued a warning card and has decided to hold the client.” The pilot also made regular announcements to assure other travelers of their safety. “As per guidelines and our strict standard operating procedures (SOPs), field security agencies have been advised to take immediate action upon arrival.”
