Tarmac incident: Aviation minister says swift measures taken against IndiGo, MIAL

Jyotiraditya Scindia expressed his concern over the inconvenience faced by passengers due to flight delays (Image: ANI)

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Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on January 18 spoke on the recent imposition of substantial penalties on IndiGo airlines and Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) for the tarmac incident, highlighting the ministry's quick reaction to the situation.

IndiGo and MIAL received show cause notices from MoCA on January 16 after a video showed passengers eating on the tarmac during a flight delay. Additionally, BCAS imposed a Rs 1.2 crore fine on IndiGo for various offenses, including the tarmac incident.

Scindia said that upon learning of the incident, a meeting was promptly convened with all ministry officials on the midnight of January 15, leading to the immediate issuance of a show-cause notice. The minister expressed strong disapproval of the passengers' inconvenience, their need to eat on the tarmac, and the compromised security at various points. Within three- four hours, official notices were dispatched, and within 24 hours of their issuance, the requisite penalties were imposed, he said.

Expressing his concern over the inconvenience faced by passengers due to flight delays, Scindia stated: "Within hours of getting to know of that incident happening, beyond the stroke of midnight, a meeting was held with all officials within the Ministry, the show-cause notice was immediately issued."

The minister underscored the inconvenience faced by passengers and the compromised security at various locations.

"The fact the passengers were inconvenienced, the fact that they had to eat on the tarmac, the fact that security had been compromised across all points was unacceptable. Within three-four hours, notices were issued and within 24 hours of the notices being issued, the necessary penalties have been levied.," Scindia further added.

Show cause notices and penalties

IndiGo and Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), which offers transport, flight booking, lounge, special assistance facility and airport services, at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, faced show cause notices from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) after a video circulated on social media showing passengers eating on the tarmac during a flight delay on January 15. Subsequently, on January 17, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) imposed a Rs 1.2 crore fine on IndiGo for various offenses, including the tarmac incident.

Following a substantial delay, a large number of passengers from an IndiGo aircraft at Mumbai airport swiftly disembarked, seated themselves on the tarmac, and were observed having food immediately after their Goa-Delhi flight was diverted due to dense fog.

BCAS further penalized IndiGo with two fines of Rs 50 lakh each for security violations, two fines of Rs 5 lakh each for not reporting the incident, and one fine of Rs 10 lakh for mismanagement of the situation.

MIAL was also fined Rs 60 lakh by BCAS for the tarmac incident, while the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) imposed a Rs 30 lakh fine on the airport for related violations. BCAS penalised MIAL on four counts, including failure to report the incident, providing a "false statement" about security officer deployment, lack of alternate surveillance arrangements on the apron, and failure to implement security control measures at the apron.