Elderly Man Seen Urinating Beside Aircraft at Bihar’s Darbhanga Airport, Video Sparks Outrage and Debate
Darbhanga, Bihar – September 1, 2025:
A bizarre and shocking incident at Darbhanga Airport in Bihar has triggered a storm on social media after a video surfaced showing an elderly man urinating beside a passenger aircraft on the runway area. The clip, filmed by a pilot from inside the cockpit, has gone viral, amassing hundreds of thousands of views within hours and sparking divided opinions online.
The Viral Video
In the nine-second video, the man—dressed in a simple white kurta-pajama—can be seen squatting near bushes dangerously close to a parked aircraft. Passengers can also be spotted in the background waiting to board the flight, while the pilot recording the clip is heard chuckling at the unusual sight.
The incident, first reported by regional media outlets, quickly made its way to major platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), where it spread like wildfire. According to reports, the video has already crossed 2.85 lakh views on X alone, with countless retweets, memes, and heated discussions following in its wake.
Mixed Reactions on Social Media
The viral video sparked outrage, humor, and sympathy all at once. Netizens found themselves sharply divided into two camps:
- The Supporters: Many sympathized with the elderly man, arguing that his age and possible health conditions may have left him unable to control his bladder. “It’s easy to laugh, but old age doesn’t give you many options,” one user wrote. Others pointed out that airports in smaller cities like Darbhanga often lack enough washroom facilities near boarding gates or waiting areas, which may have left the man with no choice.
- The Critics: On the other hand, several users criticized the incident as a disgraceful lapse of civic sense. “How can someone behave like this at an airport? It’s not a village field, it’s an international safety zone,” wrote another user. Many argued that such behavior tarnishes the image of Bihar and India on a global stage, especially as videos from airports tend to circulate internationally.
The debate soon expanded beyond the man himself, raising larger questions about India’s airport infrastructure, public behavior, and the growing culture of filming and shaming individuals.
Questions on Airport Security
Apart from humor and moral debates, the video also raised a serious concern: airport security. The fact that an individual could approach so close to an aircraft and engage in such an act near the runway has alarmed many observers. Aviation experts stressed that international safety regulations do not permit unauthorized activity anywhere near operational aircraft.
“If a person can casually squat beside an aircraft, what does that say about perimeter security and passenger supervision at smaller airports?” asked an aviation safety analyst. “This could have been a security breach under different circumstances.”
Airport Authorities Silent
As of now, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has not issued an official statement on the matter. It remains unclear whether the elderly man was indeed a passenger about to board the flight or an outsider who had somehow wandered onto the restricted tarmac area.
Darbhanga Airport, which has seen rapid growth in passenger traffic in recent years under the UDAN regional connectivity scheme, has often been criticized for inadequate infrastructure compared to bigger metro airports. The lack of proper waiting areas, restrooms, and passenger facilities has been a recurring complaint from travelers.
This incident may further pressure the authorities to address those gaps and enforce stricter monitoring on the runway premises.
A Cultural Reflection
Beyond the technicalities of aviation rules, the viral video also sparked a cultural conversation. Public urination has long been a social problem in India, despite government initiatives like “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.” While urban centers have made progress with better sanitation facilities, smaller towns and older generations often continue practices that clash with modern civic expectations.
Social commentators noted that the incident illustrates the gap between rapid modernization of infrastructure and the pace of behavioral change in society. “We are building airports in Tier-2 cities, but are we building the civic culture to match it?” one columnist remarked.
The Role of the Pilot’s Video
Interestingly, the role of the pilot filming the incident has also come under scrutiny. While some people praised the pilot for exposing a lapse in discipline, others argued that mocking and recording a helpless elderly man was insensitive. Critics suggested that airline staff should have discreetly guided the man to a restroom instead of laughing and sharing the video.
This raises ethical questions about the viral culture of turning individuals’ embarrassing moments into online entertainment. In this case, the man’s identity is still unknown, but in many similar incidents, such viral shaming has led to harassment and humiliation.
A Broader Debate: Infrastructure vs. Behavior
The Darbhanga incident sits at the intersection of two persistent issues in India: the shortage of adequate infrastructure in smaller airports and the lack of public awareness about civic behavior.
On one hand, authorities must ensure that passengers have access to clean, well-maintained washrooms near boarding gates. On the other hand, citizens must recognize that airports and runways are not casual public spaces, but highly sensitive and regulated areas.
Unless both aspects are addressed simultaneously, similar embarrassing and potentially dangerous incidents could repeat in the future.
Conclusion
The video of an elderly man urinating beside a plane at Darbhanga Airport has become more than just a viral clip—it has sparked a national conversation about infrastructure, civic sense, and security at India’s growing number of regional airports.
For now, the incident may remain a humorous meme for many online users, but it also serves as a wake-up call for policymakers, airport authorities, and the traveling public. As India expands its aviation network into smaller cities, ensuring that passengers have both proper facilities and civic discipline will be crucial to preventing such spectacles from recurring.
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