DGCA Cracks Down on Airlines: Indigo, Air India, SpiceJet Fined total Rs 1.8 Crore

The Directorate General Of Civil Aviation imposed a fine of Rs 1.2 crore on Indigo and a fine of Rs 30 lakh each on Air India and SpiceJet for flouting fog-preparedness rules.

The airlines were supposed to be held guilty of not having rostered CAT III trained pilots who can fly in low visibility conditions ahead of the cold season. The regulating authority holds a meeting every year with aviation stakeholders before the start of the fog season to assess preparedness for low-visibility operations.

In the Data submitted by scheduled airlines for December 2023, DGCA found that Air India and SpiceJet did not roster CAT II/III and LVTO (Low Visibility take-off)-qualified pilots for some of the flights. CAT II/III pertains to operating flights in low visibility conditions.

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Earlier, DGCA had issued show causes notices to Air India and SpiceJet for not deploying pilots trained to operate in low visibility conditions, following diversions of various flights amid dense fog night.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Civil Aviation issued show cause notices to both Indigo and Mumbai airports after a video of passengers sitting on the tarmac and eating food went viral on social media. The ministry held both Mumbai Airport and Indigo responsible for the incident and blamed them for not being ‘ proactive in anticipating the situation and making the appropriate facilitation arrangements for passengers at the airport’.

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The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is the regulatory body in the field of Civil Aviation primarily dealing with safety issues. It is responsible for regulation of air transport services to/from/within India and for enforcement of civil air regulations, air safety and airworthiness standards.

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