IndiGo fined Rs 1.20 crore over passengers eating on Mumbai airport tarmac

Aviation security regulator BCAS on Wednesday (January 17) slapped fines totalling Rs 1.80 crore on IndiGo and Mumbai airport operator MIAL over the incident of passengers having food on the airport tarmac.

A penalty of Rs 1.20 crore has been imposed on IndiGo, while the fine on MIAL is Rs 60 lakh, according to orders issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

Besides, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on MIAL (Mumbai International Airport Ltd).

Many passengers rushed out of an IndiGo aircraft at the Mumbai airport, and sat on the tarmac, and some were also seen having food there as soon as their diverted Goa-Delhi flight landed after a long delay on January 14. The flight was diverted due to fog issues at the Delhi airport.

After the incident came to light, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) issued show-cause notices on January 16.

Both IndiGo and MIAL did not report the incident to the regulator.

BCAS had issued show-cause notices to IndiGo and MIAL, saying that they were not proactive in anticipating the situation and making the appropriate facilitation arrangements for passengers at the airport.

While penalising IndiGo, BCAS said the airline did not report the incident to it and failed to respond to the emergent situation in a responsible and efficient manner.

The regulator also said that IndiGo failed to "ensure security screening of passengers and their cabin baggage before embarkation and protect passengers and their baggage from unlawful interference from the point of screening to boarding of aircraft at Mumbai airport".

Further, it said the airline did not take all security measures required as well as deploy security staff as per the prescribed scale for the given situation.

In the case of MIAL, BCAS said the operator did not report the incident to it and also submitted a false statement about the deployment of security officers to cordon off the area.

According to the regulator, there was no alternate arrangement for surveillance of the apron and runways, while security cameras were non-operative.

Besides, DGCA has imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on MIAL for certain violations, including the norm that directs all agencies working at the airport not to permit walking on active apron.

"The presence of passengers on the apron for a considerable period of time is in violation of Apron discipline as it jeopardised the safety of the passengers and the aircraft," a DGCA official said.

DGCA said that through social media, it was noticed that passengers of the IndiGo flights -- 6E-2195 and 6E-2091 -- were on the apron for a considerable period of time at the Mumbai airport.

In a statement on Tuesday, IndiGo said it has already initiated an internal enquiry to address the issue and will be responding to the show cause notice as per protocol.

"IndiGo flight 6E 2195 (Goa to Delhi) was diverted due to unfavourable weather conditions. As the flight was already significantly delayed in Goa, passengers were irate and rushed out of the aircraft as soon as the step ladder was connected," a MIAL spokesperson said in a statement on Monday.

According to the spokesperson, the airport operator in coordination with CISF QRT cordoned off the passengers into a safety zone as "passengers refused to get into the airline coach and proceed to the terminal building".

Further, the spokesperson had said the passengers were kept under strict watch of the airline authorities and security until further actions were taken.

(With agency inputs)