IndiGo Faces Rs 1.2 Crore Penalty, SpiceJet & Air India Fined Rs 30 Lakh Each

18 Jan 2024 , 10:30 AM

SpiceJet and Air India have been fined Rs 30 lakh each by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), while IndiGo Airlines has been fined Rs 1.2 crore by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

IndiGo has been fined a total of Rs 1.2 crore for five different offences, one of which was the event where passengers on their delayed flight were observed eating on the tarmac.

Notably, when a viral video showed stranded passengers casually eating on the runway after their Delhi-bound flight was delayed by 12 hours, the Ministry of Civil Aviation issued show-cause warnings to IndiGo Airlines and the Mumbai airport, requesting answers. Due to heavy fog at Delhi airport, there were significant aircraft interruptions that resulted in this delay.

BCAS penalized IndiGo Rs 50 lakhs on two separate occasions for violating security, Rs 5 lakhs on each occasion for failing to report the occurrence, and Rs 10 lakh on one occasion for handling the matter improperly.

A video emerged of IndiGo customers scurrying out of the Mumbai airport, waiting on the tarmac and eating food while their aircraft was diverted, during a time when airlines are rushing to expedite flights delayed by fog, causing a crazy rush at airports.

Prior to now, IndiGo claimed to have started an internal investigation into the issue. After the substantial fine was assessed, the airline did not respond. ‘IndiGo has already initiated an internal inquiry to address the issue and will be responding to the notice as per protocol,’ it stated in a statement.

The Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) has also been fined Rs 60 lakh by the BCAS for the tarmac incident, while the airport has also been fined Rs 30 lakh by the DGCA.

Significantly, IndiGo has been fined by the BCAS on five counts: failing to notify the DGCA of the incident; failing to ‘implement office order dated 21.9.2021 ensure screening of passengers and their baggage before boarding a flight’; failing to keep the aircraft release certificate for the concerned flight accurately updated; failing to deploy security personnel in accordance with scale; and failing to react to the situation appropriately and effectively.

Due to their pilots’ inadequate training to do CAT III operations, SpiceJet and Air India are liable for a fine.

Due to their ‘rostering of non-CAT III compliant pilots’ during Delhi’s foggy season, Air India and SpiceJet were sent with a show cause notice by the DGCA on January 4. This action led to more flight diversions from the nation’s capital.

Jyotiaditya Scindia, the minister of aviation, stated earlier on January 17 in a post on the social media platform X that the treatment given to the passengers in the current situation was inappropriate.

‘We took prompt action and sent the concerned operators a show-cause notice. SOPs were also issued in order to improve communication with passengers. Three times a day, the implementation is being observed,’ Scindia had stated.

Major airports in India use the CAT-III instrument landing system, which enables pilots to land their aircraft in conditions as low as 50 meters of visibility. To operate this technology, though, a pilot needs to be trained.

Due to heavy fog, hundreds of flights have been cancelled or delayed nationwide since Sunday morning.

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