The head of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Arun Kumar, ordered surprise checks at airports to see how effectively the local administration, airlines and security agencies are cracking down on those who disobey the Covid protocol of wear PPE masks / gowns and maintain social distancing. Passengers who violate these rules could be banned from flying for up to two years under the DGCA rogue passenger rules.
“AirAsia India unloaded two passengers from its Goa-Mumbai flight on Monday (March 15) for not wearing PPE gowns before take off,” said a senior DGCA official. Passengers in the middle seat must wear a gown.
Alliance Air (AA) said it handed over four passengers from its Jammu-Delhi flight on Tuesday to security agencies upon arrival for refusing to wear masks despite repeated instructions from cabin crew and even pilots via the public announcement system. In the third case, a passenger who was flying with IndiGo from Delhi to Goa on Tuesday first created a scandal by wearing the PPE gown as required. “During the flight he kept taking off his mask. The crew and pilots kept asking her to use the same thing correctly, but she didn’t listen. It was handed over to the police upon arrival in Goa, ”said an IndiGo official.
At a time when the outbreak is gaining ground again, proper Covid behavior is a must. It is sheer disregard for the rules that caused criminals to ignore calls to wear a mask. They should be included on the no-fly list of not just one airline, but all airlines, which will also serve as a warning to those with similar intentions.
DGCA Arun Kumar held a two-hour virtual meeting with all airport directors on Tuesday to ensure strict adherence to Covid regulations. It has ordered surprise checks at all airports to see how effectively local agencies are enforcing the same. DGCA officials inspected 38 airports on Monday and Tuesday and more checks will take place this week.
“Our teams are also checking the planes on board. It is essential that everyone follow the Covid protocol. We are very vigilant to make sure that happens and that willful violators are acted upon according to the rules, ”Kumar told TOI. The regulator is verifying if any airport has people without masks and, if so, what measures are being taken by the local airport administration, security agencies and airlines.
The biggest regulatory move comes after Delhi High Court Judge C Hari Shankar observed an “alarming situation”, a flagrant violation of Covid protocol by passengers, while flying from Kolkata to Delhi on March 5. . Learning of sun motu, the court approved a landmark order. on March 8 to agencies to ensure strict compliance with Covid standards by flyers.
Later, the DGCA ordered the security agencies not to allow passengers without masks to enter the airport; asked airlines disembarking passengers to refuse to wear the masks before take-off and to begin to act according to the unruly flight rules for those who do not wear a mask correctly during the flight.
On Wednesday, the DGCA informed the HC Delhi of the measures it had taken. Expressing satisfaction with these steps, a bench of judges Navin Chawla and C Hari Shankar decided to close this suo motu case. The court noted that the initiation of punitive actions against offenders is a welcome step. Last October, IndiGo had banned nine members of electronic media staff from flying for fifteen days after they violated Covid rules such as failing to maintain social distancing and not wearing masks while covering actress Kangana Ranaut’s trip from Chandigarh to Mumbai. on September 9, 2020.
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