Indian economy airline IndiGo received a fine of 12 million rupees for security violations. During a delayed flight from Goa to Delhi, passengers sat down to eat right on the runway of Mumbai Airport, The National reports.
A video of passengers eating while sitting outside a plane has gone viral on social media. The airline was then fined by federal regulators with a one-month payment deadline. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Safety also imposed a fine of Rs six million on the Mumbai airport “for lack of runway discipline.” Both parties failed to report what happened, which was an additional violation, according to the BSAB.
Additionally, two other airlines, Air India and SpiceJet, received fines of Rs 3 million each for not being adequately prepared for the fog situation that caused delays.
In a #viralvideo, passengers of a #Delhi-bound #IndiGo flight diverted to Mumbai due to operational issues are seen eating and sitting on the airport tarmac at #Mumbai Airport. pic.twitter.com/a7fcsZlF1v
— Siraj Noorani (@sirajnoorani) January 15, 2024
The Indian aviation industry has recently been in the spotlight due to widespread flight delays and cancellations, which airlines have attributed to fog. More than 300 flights have been canceled since January 14, according to local media, leaving more than 40,000 passengers stranded at check-in counters. On average, the delay was more than an hour. The authorities even created special “war rooms” at six airports in the country to help restless passengers and resolve the current situation.
Let us remind you that we previously reported about an incident that occurred on board a plane flying from Delhi to Goa. The passenger attacked the pilot when he announced that the flight was delayed due to thick fog. More details in the material.