Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on IndiGo airlines for not allowing a disabled child to board the flight. A show cause notice has also been served to Indigo Airlines.
It may be mentioned here that on May 8, IndiGo ground staff did not allow a differently abled child to board a flight going from Ranchi to Hyderabad. There was a stir when its video and pictures went viral on social media. The airlines had clarified that the child was afraid to board the flight, keeping in mind his condition and safety, the airlines had taken this decision but aviation regulator DGCA imposed this fine on IndiGo Airlines for refusing to allow a disabled child to board the flight.
The DGCA has strongly reprimanded the company regarding the incident. The regulator stated that the ground staff of the company could not properly handle a disabled child and made the situation worse. The Regulator said that the company had to show more sensitivity in this matter. “The child had to be treated with kindness so that he would be calm. By doing this, the employees of the company do not have to take extreme steps like refusing the passenger to board the plane,” it added.
The regulator body also said that extraordinary steps have to be taken in special circumstances, but the employees of the company have not been able to live up to the spirit and commitment of the Civil Aviation Requirement (Regulations). In view of this, the DGCA decided to impose a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the company. This penalty has been imposed under the provisions of the respective aircraft rules.
The DGCA had issued a show cause notice to the airline in the case of IndiGo debarring a disabled child from boarding in Ranchi. This was prima facie considered poor handling of passengers. The airline had to respond to this by 26 May 2022. The DGCA had constituted a three-member committee to probe the incident and submit a report within a week.
Even the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights had taken cognizance on the issue stating that appropriate action is being taken in the matter where staff of Indigo airlines barred a specially-abled adolescent and his parents from boarding a flight at the Ranchi airport stating that he was in "a state of panic."
In a tweet in Hindi, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanoongo had said, "An incident of misbehaviour with a specially-abled child by staff of IndiGo at Ranchi airport has come to fore. Cognizance is being taken for appropriate action."