JOIN USWill suspend flight for 2 weeks if anyone is found doing photography inside it: DGCA
Cracking the whip, the civil aviation regulator on Saturday warned airlines that a repeat of the mid-air chaos witnessed on the Chandigarh-Mumbai IndiGo flight could lead to suspension of operations on the sector for two weeks.
"...it has been decided that from now on any such violation occurs on any such scheduled passenger aircraft – the schedule of the flight for that particular route shall be suspended for a period of two weeks ... and shall be restored only after the airline has taken all the necessary punitive action against those responsible for the violation," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in an order.
The DGCA had issued a notice to IndiGo airlines for the unruly scenes onboard the Chandigarh-Mumbai flight on Wednesday that ferried actor Kangana Ranaut and a posse of media personnel.
IndiGo had responded to the DGCA that its cabin crew on the aircraft in question had followed all the requisite protocols and documented the matter in the post-flight report.
However, the DGCA reminded the airlines of Rule 13 of the Aircraft Rules that state “no person shall take any photograph except in accordance with and subject to the terms and conditions of permission in writing granted by the Director-General, a Joint Director General, a Deputy Director-General or the Director of Regulations and Information of the Civil Aviation Department.”
“In spite of these regulations, it has been noted that at times, the Airlines have failed to follow these stipulations primarily because of lack of diligence on their part. Needless to say that such deviations result in a compromise in maintaining the highest standards of safety and therefore, is not allowed,” the DGCA said.
In the videos on social media, reporters and camerapersons were seen making videos inside the flight where Ranaut was seated in one of the front rows.
Most of the reporters were without masks, which are a prerequisite during the entire duration of the flight in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.