Passengers on board commercial flights will be able to take pictures inside the flight, the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) clarified this Sunday, adding that the ban is only for recording equipment that compromises air safety, creates chaos and violates regulations.
“It is clarified that a bona fide passenger traveling on an aircraft dedicated to scheduled air transport services can take photographs and videos from inside said aircraft while in flight, taking off and landing … however, this permit does not include the use of recording equipment that endangers or compromises air safety; violates current regulations; creates chaos or disturbances during the flight operation or is expressly prohibited by the crew ”, says the clarification.
The clarification comes a day after the aviation regulator issued an order for commercial flights stating that in-flight rule violations, including photography, will invite suspension of that scheduled route for two weeks.
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The suspension would remain in effect until the airline finishes taking action against those who violate these rules.
“In the event of any violation of Rule 13 of the Aircraft Rules 1937 on any passenger aircraft, the flight schedule for that particular route will be suspended for two weeks from the following day,” the DGCA statement read. The standard cited by the DGCA deals with the conditions of photography and videography on board commercial passenger flights.
The aviation regulator added that despite these regulations, airlines have often failed to follow the rules mainly due to a lack of diligence on their part. “It goes without saying that such deviations result in a commitment to maintaining the highest level of security and, therefore, should not be allowed,” the statement said.
The order came in the wake of an incident involving journalists. filming aboard an Indigo flight in which actor Kangana Ranaut was traveling from Chandigarh to Mumbai on Wednesday. A media video filming inside the flight and creating an uproar went viral on social media.
The DGCA had asked IndiGo on Friday to take “appropriate action” after the regulator discovered an alleged violation of security and social distancing protocols by the media on the airline’s flight between Chandigarh and Mumbai.
“We have seen some videos where the media is too close to each other on board Flight 6E264 on Wednesday. It appears to be a violation of security and social distancing protocols, ”said a DGCA official.
The aviation regulator cited multiple problems with the incident, including those related to on-board photography in violation of aircraft rules 13, the visible violation of Covid-19 protocols and the alleged rebellious behavior of some passengers to aboard the flight.
The aviation regulator also plans to take action against media outlets aboard the IndiGo for violating in-flight regulations following an investigation into the incident, officials familiar with the development said.
“Actions can be taken against those people found to be in violation of the guidelines,” said the DGCA.
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