The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) — India’s aviation regulator — has pulled up IndiGo airlines and issued a “show-cause notice” to the country’s largest carrier after a fact-finding committee found “inappropriate handling of passengers by the airline staff, thereby resulting in certain non-conformances with applicable regulations”.
The fact-finding committee was set up after the special child along with the family was denied boarding at Ranchi Airport by Indigo airlines on May 7.
The issue had flared up with clips of the incident being circulated on social media. The Union Civil Aviation Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, had ordered a probe into the matter following which a fact finding committee was set up.
“The committee has submitted its report. The proceedings of the committee were partly held in the open and partly in camera as per the request of the affected family. 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.,” a statement from the DGCA said.
Appropriate action to be taken
Accordingly a “show-cause notice to the concerned airline through its authorised representative” was issued and IndiGo has been asked to “explain as to why suitable enforcement action should not be taken against them for the non-conformances.”
The airline will have an opportunity for “personal hearing” and have also been granted permission “for making written submissions” over the next 10 days, by May 26.
“To meet the ends of justice, the airline has been provided an opportunity for personal hearing as well as for making written submissions in next ten days from today, that is, till May 26. After hearing their submissions, appropriate action as per law would be taken,” the statement said.