CONRAD DIAS
Ranchi, May 28: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken action against Indigo Airlines for refusing to board a Specially-abled child at the Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi. A fine of Rs 5 lakh has been imposed on the company.
The DGCA said that extraordinary response is required in special circumstances but the airline staff could not do so.
A statement by the DGCA read, “It has been observed that the handling of the special child by the Indigo ground staff was deficient and ended up exacerbating the situation.”
However, the Airport director spoke to lagatar24.com and expressed his ignorance about this matter. He said that he had been informed about the fine through the media and was unaware of any such steps taken by the DGCA.
The incident took place on a Hyderabad-bound flight, on May 7, and was brought to light via a Facebook post by a passenger at the airport who was waiting to board another flight.
As soon as the video went viral on social media, the DGCA formed a three-member team and initiated a probe. It had also sought a report from the airline company.
Notably, IndiGo on May 9 had said that the boy was denied permission to board the flight as he was ‘visibly in panic’. As the boy was prohibited from boarding, his parents also decided not to enter the plane.
The DGCA further added in the statement, “In view of this, the competent authority in the DGCA has decided to impose a penalty of Rs 5 lakhs on the airline under the provisions of the relevant Aircraft Rules.”
