DGCA Slaps Hefty Fines On IndiGo, Mumbai Airport After Video Of Passengers Eating On Tarmac Goes Viral

After a video of passengers sitting and having dinner on the tarmac next to Indigo planes due to delayed flights and airport authorities mismanagement, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) on Wednesday slapped hefty fines on IndiGo and Mumbai airport. According to the reports, Indigo has been fined Rs 1.5 crore and Mumbai Airport has been fined Rs 90 lakhs.

The reports described that the DGCA asked both entities to pay a fine of Rs 30 lakh while BCAS imposed a fine of Rs 1.2 crore on IndiGo and Rs 60 lakh on Mumbai airport.

According to the DGCA, lingering passengers on an "active apron" for an extended duration violated regulations and posed potential risks to both individuals and aircraft.

Earlier today, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticized the Civil Aviation Ministry under the Narendra Modi government and airlines for their perceived lack of preparedness in handling adverse challenges. In an article, Tharoor shed light on the difficulties faced by passengers due to flight delays lasting up to 12 hours, with some individuals resorting to having their meals while seated on the tarmac near Indigo planes. Tharoor expressed concern over what he referred to as the "sorry state of affairs" in India's aviation sector.

Responding to Tharoor, Jyotiraditya Scindia labeled the Congressman as an armchair critic, emphasizing that merely sharing articles doesn't constitute 'research.' He asserted that the Congress party lacks the expertise to navigate intricate technical sectors.

"It is for someone who is lost in his esoteric world of thesaurus that data mining of selective press articles from the internet qualifies as "research". Here are some actual facts for arm-chair critic Shashi Tharoor and the Cong IT Cell that might help tackle their lack of depth in understanding of technical sectors like civil aviation," Scindia said.