Passengers on tarmac: Aviation security regulator BCAS slaps Rs 1.20 cr fine on IndiGo, Rs 60 lakh penalty on Mumbai airport operator

Aviation security regulator — Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) — has fined IndiGo and Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) Rs 1.80 crore on Wednesday for allowing passengers to eat on the airport tarmac. BCAS issued a penalty of Rs 1.20 crore on IndiGo and a fine of Rs 60 lakh on MIAL.

In addition, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also slapped a Rs 30 lakh penalty on MIAL. 

Separately, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) fined Air India and SpiceJet Rs 30 lakh each for failing to comply with pilot rostering requirements when operating flights in low visibility situations. The action comes more than two weeks after severe aircraft disruptions were reported at Delhi International Airport owing to intense fog and limited visibility conditions.

What is the incident all about? 

On January 14, many passengers had rushed out of an IndiGo plane at Mumbai's airport, sat on the runway, and some were seen eating food as soon as their diverted Goa-Delhi flight landed following a lengthy delay. The flight was diverted owing to fog at the Delhi airport.

After the incident was discovered, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) issued show-cause warnings on January 16.

Both IndiGo and MIAL failed to report the event to the regulator.

What does the BCAS notice say?

BCAS has issued show-cause orders to IndiGo and MIAL, accusing them of failing to anticipate the circumstance and make sufficient airport facilitation measures.

While penalising IndiGo, BCAS stated that the airline neglected to notify the occurrence to it and failed to respond to the emergency situation in an appropriate and expedient manner.

The regulator also said that IndiGo failed to "ensure security screening of passengers and their cabin baggage before embarkation and protect passengers and their baggage from unlawful interference from the point of screening to boarding of aircraft at Mumbai airport".

Furthermore, it stated that the airline did not implement all necessary security measures or deploy security personnel in accordance with the prescribed scale for the specific situation.

In the case of MIAL, BCAS stated that the operator failed to notify the occurrence to it and provided a false statement regarding the deployment of security officials to cordon off the area.

According to the regulator, there was no alternative system for apron and runway surveillance, and security cameras were inoperable.

Furthermore, the DGCA levied a Rs 30 lakh punishment on MIAL for other infractions, including the rule that prohibits all airport agencies from allowing people to stroll on the operational apron.

"The presence of passengers on the apron for a considerable period of time is in violation of apron discipline as it jeopardised the safety of the passengers and the aircraft," a DGCA official was quoted by PTI as saying.

According to the DGCA, passengers aboard IndiGo aircraft 6E-2195 and 6E-2091 remained on the apron at the Mumbai airport for an extended period of time, as discovered via social media.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, IndiGo stated that it has already launched an internal investigation to rectify the matter and would reply to the show cause notice according to process.

An MIAL spokesperson said: "IndiGo flight 6E 2195 (Goa to Delhi) was diverted due to unfavourable weather conditions. As the flight was already significantly delayed in Goa, passengers were irate and rushed out of the aircraft as soon as the step ladder was connected."

According to the spokesperson, the airport operator, in collaboration with CISF QRT, cordoned off the passengers into a safety zone because "passengers refused to get into the airline coach and proceed to the terminal building".

Furthermore, the statement stated that the passengers were kept under strict surveillance by the airline authorities and security until further action was taken.