Union Civil Aviation Ministry on Tuesday issued show cause notices to IndiGo and Mumbai Airport after a video of passengers eating on the tarmac at Mumbai Airport went viral on social media. The development comes after Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia held a meeting with all ministry officials at midnight on Monday, January 15.
The notices require responses by Tuesday (January 16) and stipulate that if replies are not received within the specified timeframe, enforcement action, including financial penalties, will be initiated.
What did notices say?
“Both Indigo and Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) were not proactive in anticipating the situation and making the appropriate facilitation arrangements for passengers at the airport," as per notices by Aviation security watchdog BCAS. For instance, "the aircraft was allotted a remote bay C-33 (instead of a Contact Stand - an aircraft parking stand that is suitable for walking passengers to and from an aircraft from an allocated boarding gate), which further added to passenger woes and deprived them the opportunity to avail basic facilities like restrooms and refreshments at the terminal".
Breach of Rule 51 of Aircraft (Security) Rules
The situation led to an undesirable and unacceptable experience for fatigued and distressed passengers. The flight operation was carried out without due consideration for passengers' convenience, security protocols, and operational considerations. In the case of IndiGo, a show cause notice has been issued for the breach of Rule 51 of the Aircraft (Security) Rules, 2023. This pertains to the failure to adhere to proper aviation security procedures in connection with Flight no 6E 2195, which landed at Mumbai Airport at 2321 hrs. on January 14. The notice specifies that IndiGo permitted the disembarkation of passengers from Flight 6E 2195 onto the apron and subsequently boarded them onto Flight 6E 2091 on January 15 at Mumbai airport, without following the mandated security screening procedure, thereby violating the aforementioned regulations.
Press statement by IndiGo
Meanwhile, IndiGo issued a press statement, stating it has received a show cause notice. "IndiGo is in receipt of a show cause notice from MoCA's Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) with regard to flight 6E 2195 from Goa to Delhi, diverted to Mumbai on January 14, 2024. IndiGo has already initiated an internal enquiry to address the issue and will be responding to the notice as per protocol," the statement added.
(With inputs from ANI)
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