New Delhi, Jan 19 (IANS): Shankar Mishra, the Air India passenger who allegedly urinated on a woman co-passenger on board a New York-Delhi flight in November last year, has been banned from the airline for four months.

Earlier, Air India had announced a ban of 30 days on Mishra after the incident came to light, saying an airline can only ban an unruly passenger for 30 days unilaterally -- before consulting the Civil Aviation Ministry.

Sources claimed that the airline on Thursday submitted an internal report in connection with the case.

Air India earlier had said that it has reported the matter to the aviation regulator DGCA. "As a first step, Air India has banned the passenger for 30 days, the maximum it is permitted to unilaterally do so, and reported the matter to the DGCA for further action," the airline had said.

Air India had constituted an internal committee to look into the lapses by the airline crew.

The incident occurred on November 26 last year when the drunk passenger allegedly urinated on a co-passenger, in her 70s, in an Air India flight from New York to Delhi. The lights had been dimmed after a meal. The woman complained about the matter to the crew and told them her clothes, shoes and bag were soaked in urine.

Currently, the matter lies in court and has witnessed many twists in the last few days.