India has a national no-fly list for unruly passengers, run under DGCA’s civil aviation requirement on handling unruly passengers. Behaviour is graded into three levels, from verbal abuse and harassment up to life-threatening acts such as damaging aircraft systems or breaching the cockpit. An internal airline committee headed by a retired judge decides the ban, and the passenger has a right of appeal.
Updated July 2026 · HappyFares
Most passengers will never come close to the no-fly list, yet the rules are worth knowing, because the line between a bad temper and a formal ban is thinner than people assume. Here is how the framework works in India.
What is India’s no-fly list?
It is a list of passengers barred from flying for a defined period after being found to have behaved in an unruly manner on board. The framework comes from DGCA’s civil aviation requirement, or CAR, on the handling of unruly passengers, which was introduced in 2017 and has been reinforced by later DGCA advisories after a run of high-profile incidents.
Two things sit under that umbrella. The airline enforces the ban it imposes, and DGCA maintains a national list based on inputs from airlines. Other carriers can then decide whether to impose their own restriction on the same passenger, which is why a serious incident on one airline can affect travel on others.
This is separate from security related watchlists and from immigration or court imposed travel restrictions, which are handled by different agencies under different laws. An airline can also decline to carry someone under its own conditions of carriage without the CAR process being involved at all.
What behaviour gets a passenger banned?
The CAR sorts unruly behaviour into three levels of seriousness, and the level drives everything that follows. In broad terms, level one covers disruptive conduct, level two covers physical abuse, and level three covers behaviour that threatens the safety of the flight.
| Level | Typical behaviour |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Disruptive behaviour: verbal harassment, unruly inebriation, offensive or threatening gestures |
| Level 2 | Physically abusive behaviour: pushing, kicking, hitting, grabbing, inappropriate touching or sexual harassment |
| Level 3 | Life-threatening behaviour: damage to aircraft operating systems, physical violence such as choking, murderous assault, attempted or actual breach of the flight crew compartment |
Several everyday situations fall inside this. Refusing to follow a crew instruction, smoking on board, tampering with a lavatory smoke detector, interfering with emergency equipment, refusing to switch off a device when told to, or continuing to drink after the crew has stopped serving can all be logged as unruly conduct. Drinking your own alcohol on board, duty free bottles included, is generally not permitted either. The Aircraft Rules also make disorderly conduct on an aircraft an offence, and police can act separately once the aircraft lands.
How long does a no-fly ban last?
Ban periods escalate with the level. As published in the CAR, a level one finding attracts a ban of up to three months, level two up to six months, and level three a minimum of two years with no fixed upper limit. The CAR also provides for longer bans on repeat offenders, so a second finding costs far more than the first.
Treat those periods as the framework rather than the final word. The CAR has been amended since it was first issued, and the exact wording governs any real case, so check the current version on the DGCA website or take legal advice if you are actually facing action.
There is also an interim stage. While the inquiry is running, the airline can bar the passenger from flying with it, and the CAR sets a limit on how long that interim restriction can run before the committee has to decide. In practice that means a passenger can be grounded on that airline within hours of an incident, well before any formal finding.
Who decides, and how does the process work?
It starts with the commander of the aircraft. The pilot-in-command files a complaint, and the airline refers it to an internal committee rather than deciding on its own. Under the CAR that committee is chaired by a retired District and Sessions Judge, with a representative from a different scheduled airline and a representative from a passengers or consumers association, which is meant to keep the airline from being judge in its own case.
The committee has a defined window, commonly described as 30 days, to examine the complaint and issue a reasoned decision setting the level and the ban period. Until it decides, the interim restriction can apply. If the committee does not decide within the stated period, the CAR’s position is that the passenger is free to fly again.
Criminal law runs in parallel. A serious incident can lead to police action on arrival regardless of what the committee concludes, and the two outcomes are independent of each other.
Can you appeal a no-fly ban?
Yes. The CAR gives a banned passenger the right to appeal to an appellate committee constituted by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, headed by a retired High Court judge and including representatives of passenger, airline and consumer interests. The appeal has to be filed within a defined window after the order, commonly described as 60 days, so acting quickly matters.
The appellate decision is treated as final within the administrative process, though a passenger can still approach the courts. If you are dealing with this for real, get the committee’s written order, note the date, read the current CAR text, and take proper legal advice rather than relying on a summary like this one.
Common Questions
Does a ban by one airline stop me flying on all airlines?
Not automatically. The airline that imposes the ban enforces it, and DGCA maintains the national list from airline inputs. Other carriers can then impose their own restriction, and in the most serious cases they commonly do. In practice, a level three finding is likely to affect travel well beyond the original airline.
Can I be banned for an argument at the check-in counter?
The CAR is aimed at behaviour on board an aircraft. Incidents in the terminal are usually handled by airport police and CISF. That said, an airline can still refuse carriage under its own conditions of carriage if it considers a passenger a risk, so a scene at the counter is not consequence free.
Is smoking on a flight enough to get me banned?
Smoking on board is prohibited, and tampering with a lavatory smoke detector is treated seriously because it disables a safety system. Either can be reported by the crew and referred to the committee, and police action is possible on landing. Vaping and e-cigarettes are covered by the same prohibition.
What happens to my ticket if I am offloaded?
An offload for unruly behaviour is generally treated as a refusal of carriage, and what you get back depends on the fare rules. Statutory taxes and airport charges are refundable under DGCA’s refund rules even when the base fare is not. Ask the airline for a written breakdown.
How would I know if I am on the list?
The committee’s decision is meant to be a reasoned order communicated to the passenger, so you should not learn about it at the airport. If you are unsure, ask the airline that filed the complaint for a copy of the order, since you will need it for any appeal.
Does the ban apply to international flights too?
A ban imposed by an Indian airline applies to travel on that carrier, including its international routes. Foreign airlines operate under their own rules and their home regulator, though they can decline carriage under their own conditions. Serious cases can also attract action in the country where the aircraft lands.
Flying soon? Compare airlines, timings and fares on HappyFares, and give yourself an unhurried trip to the gate.
Rules, levels and ban periods change with amendments. Verify current specifics with the airline, DGCA, or the airport before you travel.
