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India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has fined IndiGo Airlines ₹5 lakh for denying boarding to a special child at the Ranchi airport on May 7.
A preliminary inquiry by the DGCA had held IndiGo at fault and the airlines was asked to show cause. “It has been observed that the handling of the special child by IndiGo ground staff was deficient and ended up exacerbating the situation. A more compassionate handling would have smoothened the nerves, calmed the child and would have obviated the need for the extreme step resulting in denial of boarding of the passenger,” the DGCA said in a report. “Special situations deserve extraordinary response but the airline staff failed to rise up to the occasion,” the report added.
The incident had gone viral on social media with videos being circulated and many tagging the Union Civil Aviation Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, seeking his intervention. Scindia ordered a probe and a fact finding committee was set up to look into the matter.
Additionally, the protocol to evaluate whether a specially-abled person should be denied boarding — a job currently done by airline ground staffers who assess flight risks— is being revamped, the air regulator said in a statement.
Revised rules
The regulator (DGCA) also said that it will come out with a draft of revised rules that may make it mandatory for airlines to consult airport doctors and commander of the flight in such cases.
The final rules in this regard will be issued after seeking comments from the public and taking them into consideration.
“Airlines should also revisit their standard operating procedures and training processes for dealing with such cases, in order to bring about a more humane touch,” the DGCA said in a statement.
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