On July 9, 2023, during an Air India flight from Sydney to Delhi, a company executive who was a passenger on board was physically attacked by an unruly PAX.

The incident occurred on flight AI301. According to a media report by the Hindustan Times, the victim of the attack was the manager responsible for cabin service, Sandeep Verma. This is said to have been on board as a passenger, so that he was not part of the crew.

The manager was actually supposed to fly in business class, but he was downgraded to economy class because the seat was needed for a paying passenger. In the "C" a chair was broken for a short time. In the "Eco" Verma was then confronted with an "unruly PAX".

First of all, he is said to have behaved extremely loudly. The Air India manager repeatedly tried to get it to be quieter and less disruptive. This really got the “unruly PAX” into a rage, because he is said to have hit Verma on the head, among others.

Subsequently, the violent misconduct of the troublemaker is said to have escalated to such an extent that five flight attendants and an unspecified number of passengers were needed to tame them. The Air India manager was taken to the back of the cabin and given first aid by flight attendants.

The flight to Delhi was continued – not least for geographical reasons. The Boeing 787-8 machine was already near the destination airport at the time of the incident. The airline concerned issued the following statement: "A passenger on board AI301, which flew from Sydney to Delhi on July 9, despite verbal and written warnings, behaved in an unacceptable manner during the flight and brought other passengers, including one of our employees , in distress. After the flight landed safely in Delhi, the passenger was handed over to the security authorities and later issued a written apology. The DGCA was duly informed of the incident. Air India will take firm action against wrongdoing. We will pursue this to the fullest extent of the law."