Due to flight delays, aviation authorities censure Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and MIAL; fines

Due to flight delays, aviation authorities censure Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and MIAL; fines

Due to flight delays, aviation authorities censure Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and MIAL; fines

Three airline services as well as the operator of the Mumbai airport were hit with hefty penalties by India's aviation authorities on Wednesday for failing to adhere to safety regulations and standard operating procedures.

In compliance with directives from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), IndiGo would be required to pay Rs. 1.2 crore, and Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) to pay a total fine of Rs. 90 lakh. A fine of Rs 30 lakh each is required to be paid by SpiceJet and Air India.

A punishment of Rs 50,000 has been issued by the DGCA and BCAS. Rs. 60 lakh and Rs. 30 lakh, respectively, for TRENI at MIAL. Due to IndiGo's disregard for safety protocols in the aftermath of the incident in which passengers were seen on camera enjoying food on the tarmac, BCAS fined the airline Rs 1.2 crore.

Air India and SpiceJet have each been fined Rs 30 lakh by the DGCA for rostering pilots in the fog.

After a lengthy delay, the IndiGo flight that had been diverted to Delhi touched down at Mumbai airport on January 14. Several passengers exited the aircraft, sat on the runway, and some were even seen eating meals there. -IndiGo and MIAL were given a show-cause notice, stating that they failed to take proactive measures to anticipate the circumstance and make appropriate provisions for passenger facilities at the airport.

In an order dated January 17, the DGCA said that MIAL's response to the show cause notice was deemed inadequate, as it demonstrated a failure to adhere to the safety regulations outlined in "Air Safety". "Circular 04 of 2007" .

Regarding the pilot rostering problem, the penalty was applied for disregarding orders given in accordance with the minutes of the November 6, 2023, meeting on poor visibility operations and fog readiness. The DGCA had already sent out a show cause notice. Airlines will roster "non-CAT III compliant pilots" at Delhi airport in the event of poor visibility, which will cause several aircraft diversions with Delhi as their destination.

A DGCA official said that the airline carriers SpiceJet and Air India have "increased availability of CAT II/III as well as LVTO eligible flights for some flights" after reviewing data pertaining to flight delays, cancellations, and diversions filed by scheduled airlines for December 2023. Pilots not assigned.

Flight operations in reduced visibility are handled by CAT II/III. The acronym for low visibility take-off is LVTO.

Dense fog on December 25–28, 2018, at Delhi Airport caused major disruptions to aircraft operations, resulting in the diversion of almost 60 flights operated by different carriers.