MoCA’s Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) issued show-cause notices to IndiGo and Mumbai Airport, seeking their replies on the incident. This comes after union minister of civil aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia held a meeting with all ministry officials at midnight yesterday.
According to the notice, the bureau will enforce action including financial penalties against the Airlines and the airport if they do not submit the reply by the end of the day.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has requested comprehensive responses from both IndiGo and Mumbai Airport by the end of the day.
Videos and images circulating on social media showed stranded passengers sitting on the tarmac beside an aircraft in Mumbai, casually indulging in meals.
This bizarre sight was a consequence of the extensive flight disruptions experienced at Delhi airport due to dense fog on the previous day.
“Both Indigo and Mumbai airport were not proactive in anticipating the situation and making the appropriate facilitation arrangements for passengers at the airport,” the aviation ministry’s statement read.
The ministry pointed out specific lapses in the handling of the situation. A statement said:”For instance, the aircraft was assigned a remote bay (C-33) instead of a Contact Stand, which is suitable for walking passengers to and from an aircraft from an allocated boarding gate.”
Over the past two days, the IGI Airport in Delhi has witnessed scenes of utter chaos as stranded passengers faced prolonged delays.
Shouts and slogans echoed through the terminals as frustrated travelers expressed their discontent.
In response, airport personnel and ground staff worked tirelessly to manage the situation and assist the affected passengers.
Mr Scindia yesterday announced that the ministry is taking steps to avoid situations like these in the future.
