AirAsia India, IndiGo Offload Passengers Over Non-Compliance Of Covid-19 Norms

Airlines have begun taking strict action against passengers flouting Covid norms after Aviation regulator DGCA had asked them to de-board flyers who do not wear their masks "properly" despite repeated warnings. Read on.

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New Delhi: AirAsia India offloaded two passengers from the Goa-Mumbai flight on Monday, while IndiGo also sent two passengers to security officials during the last three days for not following Coronavirus norms while boarding the flights, senior government officials informed on Thursday.

Airlines have begun taking strict action against passengers flouting Covid norms after Aviation regulator DGCA had asked them to de-board flyers who do not wear their masks "properly" despite repeated warnings.

In the case of the AirAsia India flight, the action was taken against two passengers for refusing to wear PPE gowns. In IndiGo, two passengers of two different flights were handed over to security officials at the destination airports for refusing to wear masks.

The government officials informed that a middle seat passenger on IndiGo's Delhi-Goa flight first created an issue over wearing a PPE gown, and then she kept removing her mask during the flight despite the crew giving repeated warnings.

In IndiGo's Delhi-Hyderabad flight passenger who refused to wear the mask was handed over to the security officials after the flight landed in Hyderabad, they added.

AirAsia India also deboarded two middle seat passengers from the Goa-Mumbai flight on Monday for not wearing PPE gowns before takeoff.

"We place safety and security foremost in all aspects of our operations and apologise for any inconvenience caused to other guests," AirAsia India spokesperson said confirming the incident.

As India witnesses another worrying surge in Coronavirus cases, people can be seen adopting a careless approach towards following Covid-19 norms and hence, several restrictions are being imposed to ensure that the spread can be contained.

Expressing concern over these incidents, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri appealed to people for following the necessary precautions by tweeting: “I appeal to all air passengers to strictly follow the laid down Covid-19 Protocol to safeguard themselves & others around them. Precaution is always better than cure…& disrupted travel plans! Fly Safe”.