Guwahati: Indigo Airlines has been fined Rs. 5 lakh by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for failing to effectively manage the situation of a special child at Ranchi airport.
DGCA in a statement said, “It has been observed that the handling of the special child by the Indigo ground staff was deficient and ended up exacerbating the situation. A more compassionate handling would have smoothened the nerves, calmed the child and would have obviated the need for the extreme step resulting in denied boarding to the passengers.”
“Special situations deserve extraordinary responses but the Airline staff failed to rise up to the occasion and in the process committed lapses in adherence to the letter and spirit of the Civil Aviation Requirements (Regulations). In view of this, the Competent Authority in DGCA has decided to impose a penalty of Rs. Five Lakhs on the airline under the provisions of the relevant Aircraft Rules,” the statement added.
An IndiGo manager is accused of mistreating a special-needs youngster at the Ranchi airport on May 7. An eyewitness report of the incident went viral on social media, bringing attention to the tragedy. Following the tweet, the airlines also made a statement.
According to Abhinandan Mishra, who was present at the time of the incident, the child had a rough car ride to the airport and was obviously anxious upon arrival at the boarding gate. His parents, on the other hand, used ‘food and affection’ to bring the situation under control.
On May 16, India’s aviation regulator DGCA said that the IndiGo workers improperly handled a specially-abled kid at the Ranchi airport.