After a footage showing travelers dining on the runway at Mumbai Airport became popular on the internet, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia called a conference call with all ministry representatives at midnight yesterday. Indigo and Mumbai Airport were sent with show cause letters by the MoCA’s (BCAS) early Tuesday morning.
According to the documents, “both Indigo and MIAL weren’t attentive in predicting the circumstances and establishing suitable assistance measures for travelers at the airport”. In this particular case, “the plane was assigned a far-flung bay C-33 (as opposed to of a Contact Stand – a plane parked stand which is appropriate for strolling people on and off a plane from a designated boarding entrance), which additionally aggravated travelers problems and stripped them of the chance to take advantage of fundamental amenities like bathroom facilities and food and beverages at the terminal”.
MoCA has invited IndiGo and Mumbai Airport for comprehensive responses by the end of the day. On Monday, photographs and videos appeared on social media showing passengers stuck in Mumbai lying on the tarmac beside an airliner, quietly eating meals. This odd sight was generated by massive airplane disruptions at Delhi airport the day before due to heavy fog.
The ministry recognized substantial shortcomings in how the incident was handled. As to the assertion, the aircraft was granted a distant berth (C-33) instead of a Contact Stand designed to escort people from or to an aircraft’s designated boarding gate.
Over the previous two days, the IGI Airport in Delhi witnessed scenes of total chaos, with detained passengers suffering extended wait times. Disgruntled travelers unleashed their wrath with shouts and chants that echoed throughout the terminals. Airport authorities and ground crew responded by working tirelessly to handle the situation and assist impacted travelers.
Following the significant delays encountered by hundreds of flights coming and going from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Airport during the two days prior, Scindia announced yesterday that the government is working to prevent similar difficulties in the future.