Aviation authorities impose a fine of Rs 1.2 crore on IndiGo; know the reason

Earlier this week, a video which went viral on social media, showed passengers sitting on the tarmac, and some were also seen eating there as soon as their flight landed after a long delay. The flight that took off from Goa could not land at Delhi airport due to dense fog, and was diverted to Mumbai Sunday.

NewsBharati    18-Jan-2024 11:55:08 AM

The Aviation Ministry’s Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) slapped a fine of Rs 1.2 crore on Indigo and Rs 60 lakh on Mumbai airport operator MIAL Wednesday, for violation of aviation security norms over the incident of passengers eating on the airport tarmac.


Indigo  
 
What was the issue? 
 
Earlier this week, a video which went viral on social media, showed passengers sitting on the tarmac, and some were also seen eating there as soon as their flight landed after a long delay. The flight that took off from Goa could not land at Delhi airport due to dense fog, and was diverted to Mumbai Sunday. 

Following this, BCAS Tuesday morning issued show cause notices to Indigo and Mumbai Airport for failure to observe due aviation security procedures. Separately, aviation regulator DGCA had also issued a notice to MIAL for violation of “para 5 of DGCA Air Safety circular 04 of 2007 that directs all agencies working at the airport not to permit walking on active apron”.

 
 

According to the orders issued Wednesday, replies submitted by Indigo and MIAL to the authorities were found to be unsatisfactory.

 In addition, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) for violating the “apron discipline as it jeopardized the safety of the passengers and the aircraft”. 
 
Why was the IndiGo fined?
 
The ministry additionally stated that the flight operation occurred without considering “passenger convenience, laid down security norms, and operational issues. 
 
 
 
In the show cause notice served to IndiGo, the authorities said, “Indigo allowed disembarkation of passengers from flight 6E 2195 onto the apron and then boarded them on to flight 6E 2091 on 15.01.2024 at Mumbai airport, without following the procedure of security screening, which violates the above-mentioned orders. Further, the incident was not reported to BCAS (Bureau of Civil Aviation Security) by the aircraft operator, which is attributed to a violation of Rule 51 of the Aircraft (Security) Rules, 2023.” 
 
What penalty order says?

The penalty order by BCAS noted that Indigo failed to report the incident to it, did not screen passengers and their cabin baggage before allowing them to board the aircraft, did not deploy security staff in accordance with the scale of the incident, and also failed to respond to emergent situation in responsible and efficient manner.

The Mumbai airport too failed to report the incident to BCAS, the order stated, adding that the airport submitted false statement about deployment of security officers to cordon the area. In addition, while the security cameras were non-operative in the area, the airport made no alternate arrangement for surveillance of apron and runway. “…Mumbai International Airport Limited failed to implement security control measures committed in…its approved airport security programme…in a contingency situation arises at Mumbai airport.”

In addition to the penalty of Rs 60 lakh imposed by BCAS, MIAL has also been fined Rs 30 lakh by the DGCA “as they have failed to adhere to the safety requirements as laid down in the Air Safety Circular 04 of 2007″.


The DGCA Wednesday also imposed a penalty of Rs 30 lakh each on Air India and SpiceJet for failure to comply with pilot rostering requirements when operating flights in low visibility situations.

IndiGo Aviation authorities
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