The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) warned all national airlines on Saturday that their scheduled flights will be suspended for at least two weeks if someone is found taking photographs or making videography inside the plane.
The warning comes shortly after footage of an incident in which actress Kangana Ranaut was crowded by media people on the Chandigarh-Mumbai IndiGo flight went viral on social media. Chandigarh is a defense airport where videography and photography are strictly prohibited.
A viral video of the incident on Wednesday showed reporters and cameramen from various television channels jostling and huddling near the front rows to get a comment from Ranaut after the plane landed at Mumbai airport. The video allegedly showed the actor sitting in one of the front rows.
The DGCA has also sought an explanation from IndiGo regarding onboard photography in violation of Aircraft 13 rules, violation of COVID-19 protocols, and certain actions that fall within the realm of unruly behavior of passengers on board.
“It has been decided that from now on, in the event of any violation on any scheduled passenger aircraft, the flight schedule for that particular route will be suspended for a period of two weeks from the day after (of the incident) “DGCA order said.
According to the order of the DGCA, according to Rule 13 of the Aircraft Rules of 1937, no person can take photographs inside a flight, except when the permit is granted by the DGCA or the Ministry of Civil Aviation. However, this permit is not applicable when the aircraft is landing, taking off or on the ground at a defense aerodrome.
“Despite these regulations, it has been observed that at times, airlines have failed to comply with these stipulations mainly due to lack of diligence on their part. Needless to say, such deviations result in a commitment to maintaining the most high safety standards and therefore should not be allowed, “the order said.
The DGCA has placed the responsibility on airlines to ensure that passengers comply with rules and regulations. The order said that if a photography incident occurs within a flight, that scheduled flight will be suspended for two weeks and will be reinstated only after the airline has taken all necessary punitive actions against those responsible for the violation.
Under DGCA rules, an airline can put a rebellious passenger on its no-fly list for a certain period of time after an internal investigation.
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