The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated that IndiGo airlines Ranchi ground staff have lacked in handling a special needs child at the airport.
DGCA statements
DGCA is the apex regulator for air travel.
The regulator fined IndiGo Rs 5 Lakhs for not allowing the special needs child to board the flight.
The DGCA stated, ‘the ground staff had lacked in handling the child and worsened the situation.’
A more compassionate behaviour would have made things easier, calmed the child and would have obviated the need for the extreme step resulting in denied boarding to the passengers, added DGCA.
‘Special situations deserve extraordinary responses but the Airline staff failed to rise up to the occasion and in the process committed lapses in adherence to the letter and spirit of the Civil Aviation Requirements (Regulations),’ read the statement by the authority.
Henceforth, the DGCA imposed a fine of 5 Lakhs on IndiGo airlines due to such unexpected behaviour by IndiGo’s staff.
The regulator added that to prevent such situations in future, the staff shall revisit its rules and regulations and bring about necessary changes.
The incident
This incident at the airport has received widespread criticism and asked the regulator to launch an inquiry.
The incident came into the limelight when Manisha Gupta, a passenger on the Ranchi – Hyderabad flight on May 7, narrated the calamity of the special needs child and her parents.
Ms Gupta added that the manager kept shouting that the ‘child is uncontrollable’!
Later, the other passengers marshalled around the family and urged the staff to let them on board and not tense them.
The video of this incident has spread on social media and criticism against IndiGo staff is all over the media platforms.
CEO’s comments
Likewise, the IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta commented that they were ‘forced to make a difficult decision’.
‘Throughout the check-in and boarding process our intent of course was to carry the family, however, at the boarding area the teenager was visibly in panic.’ he added
The CEO continued, While providing courteous and compassionate service to our customers is of paramount importance to us, the airport staff, in line with the safety guidelines, were forced to make a difficult decision as to whether this commotion would carry forward aboard the aircraft’.
However, the airlines provided a Hotel stay to the family and the family flew the next morning to their destination.
Earlier this month, DGCA issued a show-cause notice to the airline.
‘The findings of the committee prima facie indicate inappropriate handling of passengers by the Indigo staff thereby resulting in certain non-conformances with the applicable regulations,’ says DGCA.
The Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia commented that ‘there is zero-tolerance for such behaviour, no human being should have to go through this.
