Govt Pulls Up Indigo, Mumbai Airport After Viral Video Shows Fliers Eating On Tarmac

In the early hours on Tuesday, MoCA's Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) issued show cause notices to Indigo and Mumbai Airport.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Source : PTI

After a video of passengers eating on the tarmac at Mumbai Airport went viral on social media, the Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia held a meeting with all ministry officials at midnight yesterday. In the early hours on Tuesday, MoCA's Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) issued show cause notices to Indigo and Mumbai Airport.
 
According to the notices, “both Indigo and MIAL were not proactive in anticipating the situation and making the appropriate facilitation arrangements for passengers at the airport”. For instance, “the aircraft was allotted a remote bay C-33 (instead of a Contact Stand - an aircraft parking stand that is suitable for walking passengers to and from an aircraft from an allocated boarding gate), which further added to passenger woes and deprived them the opportunity to avail basic facilities like rest rooms and refreshments at the terminal”.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has asked IndiGo and Mumbai Airport to provide detailed comments by the end of the day. 

On Monday, images and videos circulated on social media of stranded passengers in Mumbai lounging on the tarmac near an aeroplane, calmly partaking in meals. This strange image was caused by the severe aircraft interruptions encountered at Delhi airport the day before owing to excessive fog. 

The ministry identified significant flaws in the situation's handling. According to the statement, the aircraft was assigned a remote berth (C-33) rather than a Contact Stand, which is suited for walking passengers to and from an aircraft from an allotted boarding gate.

The IGI Airport in Delhi has seen scenes of complete mayhem over the last two days, with trapped travellers facing lengthy waits. Shouts and slogans rang out across the airports as disgruntled passengers vented their rage. Airport officials and ground staff responded by working diligently to control the situation and aid affected passengers.

Following the major delays experienced by hundreds of planes coming and departing from Delhi's Indira Gandhi Airport over the previous two days, Scindia declared yesterday that the ministry is taking efforts to avoid similar problems in the future.