Passengers eating on tarmac: IndiGo, Mumbai airport issued notices
Videos and images circulated on social media on Monday, revealed stranded passengers sitting on the tarmac next to an aircraft in Mumbai, casually enjoying their meals.
The central government issued show-cause notices to IndiGo Airlines and Mumbai Airport on Tuesday (January 16), after a viral video was circulated showing passengers having meals on the tarmac.
Following this, Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia held a late-night meeting to address concerns in the aviation sector.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has asked both IndiGo and Mumbai Airport for detailed responses by the end of the day.
The video and images on social media depicted stranded passengers casually eating beside an aircraft in Mumbai — a result of flight disruptions at Delhi airport due to dense fog the previous day.
In a viral video, passengers of a Delhi-bound IndiGo flight diverted to Mumbai (confirmed by airport sources) due to operational issues are seen eating and sitting on the airport tarmac at Mumbai Airport.
— ANI (@ANI) January 15, 2024
(Screengrabs from viral video) pic.twitter.com/xNdiW7HqUv
According to the aviation ministry's statement, both IndiGo and Mumbai airport failed to proactively anticipate the situation and make appropriate arrangements for passengers.
Specific lapses were pointed out, such as assigning the aircraft a remote bay (C-33) instead of a Contact Stand suitable for walking passengers to and from the aircraft from an allocated boarding gate.
In the last two days, Delhi's IGI Airport experienced chaotic scenes as stranded passengers faced prolonged delays.
Frustrated travellers expressed discontent with shouts and slogans.
Airport personnel and ground staff worked tirelessly to manage the situation and assist affected passengers.
In response to severe delays caused by intense fog at Delhi's Indira Gandhi Airport, Union Aviation Minister Scindia announced measures to prevent such situations in the future.
