DGCA fines Air India Rs 10 lakh for denial of boarding passengers without compensation
Highlight
- DGCA said, Air India cannot have any policy in this regard and it does not pay compensation
- DGCA said that this is a matter of grave concern and is unacceptable
- The airline has been advised to immediately fix the system to resolve the issue
Air India has been fined Rs 10 lakh by the Directorate General of Aviation (DGCA) for denying boarding to passengers holding valid tickets and subsequently not providing them with mandatory compensation.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement that several cases of non-compliance of rules by the airline have been observed.
“After that a series of investigations were done by the DGCA and during our surveillance in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi, there were specific instances in the case of Air India – where the regulation (with respect to compensation to passengers) is not being followed and Therefore, the DGCA said in a statement, “Show cause notice was issued to the airline and personal hearing was also conducted.”
According to the regulator, Air India cannot have any policy in this regard and does not pay compensation to passengers.
“To say the least, this is a matter of grave concern and unacceptable. In specific cases detailed in the show cause notice, through AI submissions, as part of enforcement action, the competent authority has imposed a fine of Rs. . lakhs,” it noted.
“Furthermore, the airline has been advised to immediately put in place systems to address the issue – failing which further action will be taken by the DGCA,” it added.
(with inputs from PTI)