Scoot acted promptly after passengers missed Amritsar-Singapore flight: DGCA

The Scoot incident comes just 10 days after a Go First Bengaluru to Delhi flight reportedly took off leaving 50 passengers at the Bengaluru airport.(Representational Image: Source - www.flyscoot.com)

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on January 21 said there was a prompt response from Scoot when several passengers missed its Amritsar-Singapore flight due to a change in the departure time on January 18.

The low-cost Scoot Airlines issued an apology on January 19 after 32 passengers could not board a Singapore-bound flight from Sri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport in Amritsar after the departure time was advanced.

The flight was to take off at 7.55 pm on January 18 but it flew out at 4 pm, passengers said. According to Scoot, bad weather affected the departure and the flight was rescheduled to leave Amritsar at 3.45 pm.

In a statement, DGCA said it had sought a report from Scoot about the incident in which "17 passengers" were affected as they were not informed by their travel agent about the change in time.

The other passengers could possibly have been delayed for reasons for which the airline could not be held responsible, sources said.

Citing the options provided by the airline to the affected passengers, the civil aviation watchdog said the passengers were looked after and appreciated the prompt response from the airline.

The affected passengers were given the option to rebook another flight within 14 days free of charge, 120 percent refund in the form of vouchers or a 100 percent refund by mode of payment, the statement said.

Scoot is a low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines.

On January 19, Amritsar airport director VK Seth told PTI that 263 passengers who boarded the flight reported well in time.

"All booking agents were informed well in time and they relayed the information to their clients but only one agent could not inform his clients for reasons best known to him."

"If we talk about the change of timing of the flight, a proper procedure was followed as it was with the prior clearance from the Airport Authority of India, besides all authorities concerned," Seth said.