 "Air India failing 'time and again' in taking care of passengers: DGCA")
The Tata group-run Air India is “time and again” failing to take due care of its passengers, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated on Friday in a show-cause issued to the airline, after passengers suffered from “insufficient” cabin cooling on two of its recent flights that were “inordinately delayed”.
The civil aviation regulator’s notice highlighted two flights in particular: The Mumbai-San Francisco AI-179 flight on May 24 and the Delhi-San Francisco AI-183 flight on May 30. Both flights were “inordinately delayed and passengers were put to discomfort due to insufficient cooling” in the cabins.
On the AI-183 flight, a few passengers fainted after enduring hours inside the aircraft without air conditioning. All passengers were eventually asked to disembark and wait in the terminal. The flight is set to depart on Friday night after a delay of more than 30 hours.
The AI-179 flight was delayed for over 18 hours due to multiple issues, including a technical snag, offloading baggage after some passengers discontinued their journey, returning to the gate due to a passenger feeling unwell, and ultimately facing night landing curbs and crew duty limitations.
The DGCA noted that these recent incidents of passenger distress were not isolated cases. “Repeated incidents of passengers being put to discomfort by Air India in violation of various DGCA CAR (civil aviation requirement) provisions have come to notice,” it stated.
Air India, the regulator said, has violated provisions of CAR that mandate “facilities” such as meals, refreshments, and hotels to be provided to passengers affected by flight delays or cancellations.
The DGCA has asked Air India to submit its response within three days. Air India did not respond to Business Standard’s request for a statement on this matter. These incidents have reignited concerns over the carrier's repeated failures to ensure basic amenities and comfort for travellers during delays or disruptions.
Also Read
Multiple DGCA actions against Air India
Over the past few years, there have been multiple instances when the airline has drawn the ire of the regulator. In March, the DGCA imposed a fine of Rs 80 lakh on Air India for violating rules regarding flight duty time limitation (FDTL), aimed at ensuring pilots receive sufficient rest to prevent any incidents at work due to fatigue.
In February, Air India incurred a Rs 30 lakh fine from the DGCA after an elderly passenger suffered a fatal heart attack. The passenger had chosen to walk from the aircraft to the terminal due to the airline’s inability to provide a requested wheelchair, leading to the tragic incident minutes later.
In January, Air India was fined Rs 30 lakh for not rostering sufficient trained pilots to land on low visibility (CAT-III landings). CAT-III instrument landing system is used at major airports across India to allow pilots to land aircraft when visibility is as low as 50 metres. However, a pilot must be trained to use this system. In January, hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled across the country due to dense fog.
In June 2023, the DGCA suspended two Air India pilots — a captain for one year and a co-pilot for one month — for allowing an unauthorised person in the cockpit during the airline’s Chandigarh-Leh flight on June 3.
A similar incident occurred on the airline’s Delhi-Dubai flight on February 27, 2023, when its captain allowed a female friend in the cockpit. The DGCA suspended this captain for three months in April 2023 and warned the co-pilot for not being assertive enough to prevent this violation.
In January 2023, the civil aviation regulator fined Air India Rs 30 lakh for lapses in handling an incident where a man urinated on a woman co-passenger on a New York to Delhi flight. In June 2022, it fined the airline Rs 10 lakh for not giving required compensation to passengers with valid tickets who were denied boarding.
Regulator’s actions against A-I
June 2023: DGCA suspended two Air India pilots for allowing an unauthorised person in the cockpit
January 2024: Rs 30 lakh fine for not rostering sufficient trained pilots to land on low visibility CAT-III landings
February 2024: Rs 30 lakh fine after an elderly passenger suffered a fatal heart attack after the airline’s inability to provide a requested wheelchair
March 2024: Fine of Rs 80 lakh for violating rules regarding flight duty time limitation