New Delhi: Directorate General civil Aviation fined Air India 10 lakh after discovering that the airline was violating rules for refusing boarding – such as denial of compensation – to passengers holding confirmed tickets and who report at airports on time for their flights. DGCA chief Arun Kumar The airline had recently warned airlines against non-compliance with rules in this regard and ordered surprise checks at airports over the past few weeks.
“During our surveillance in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi, there were specific instances (identified) where Air India was (not complying with) regulation. A show cause notice was issued to the AI and a personal hearing was given. It appears that the airline has no policy in this regard and is not paying any compensation to the hapless passengers,” a statement from the DGCA said.
“This is a matter of grave concern and is unacceptable. After going through the AI submission, the authority has imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh. The airline has also been advised to put in place systems to address the issue, failing which further action will be taken,” the statement further said.
The DGCA had in 2010 imposed fines requiring airlines to pay passengers in cases of wrongful denial of boarding, sudden flight cancellations and protracted delays. In case of overbooking, airlines must first look for volunteers who may be okay to go on subsequent flights.
“During our surveillance in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi, there were specific instances (identified) where Air India was (not complying with) regulation. A show cause notice was issued to the AI and a personal hearing was given. It appears that the airline has no policy in this regard and is not paying any compensation to the hapless passengers,” a statement from the DGCA said.
“This is a matter of grave concern and is unacceptable. After going through the AI submission, the authority has imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh. The airline has also been advised to put in place systems to address the issue, failing which further action will be taken,” the statement further said.
The DGCA had in 2010 imposed fines requiring airlines to pay passengers in cases of wrongful denial of boarding, sudden flight cancellations and protracted delays. In case of overbooking, airlines must first look for volunteers who may be okay to go on subsequent flights.