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Amid nationwide disruptions caused by delays and cancellations of IndiGo flights, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram on Friday criticised both the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the airline for failing to enforce and comply with the mandatory rest period directive for flight crew in a timely manner.
Speaking to ANI, Chidambaram said, "DGCA had earlier given a directive to airlines to enforce a mandatory rest period for flying crew. And when they gave that directive, they should have done an impact assessment. The airline concerned, particularly IndiGo, also knew about the directive well in advance. So this is a failure on both parts of the DGCA and the airline in not complying with the directive that was issued..." He questioned why the DGCA did not enforce the directive in time and demanded that both the regulator and IndiGo provide a justifiable explanation for the ongoing disruptions. "Why did they not enforce this directive well in time? So there are many questions which need to be answered. So, merely withdrawing the directive and letting the airline go back to the status quo, where they can deploy their personnel under the old regime, does not solve the problem. The answers have to come from the DGCA, from the minister, and from the airline," he added. Earlier on Friday, Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav raised concerns over the rising airfares amid the IndiGo flight disruptions. She criticised the aviation sector for operating arbitrarily and urged the government to intervene. "It is being seen that there is a huge increase in air fares. Airlines are operating in an arbitrary manner... The government should intervene in this... And if the government does not intervene, then this kind of attitude will continue..." she said. A large number of passengers are facing inconvenience across the country, as IndiGo flights are facing delays and cancellations. Many travellers are left stranded at the airports with several complaints of negligence, unresponsiveness, and staff shortage from IndiGo's end. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has directed airlines, especially IndiGo, to implement measures immediately to resolve the severe disruption to flight schedules and stabilise services without delay, an official statement said. Two orders have been issued to address problems faced by the public and restore service stability, especially on IndiGo. The order said, "It is expected: All flight schedules would stabilise and begin returning to normal midnight tonight; Full services and stability should return over the next couple of days; Passengers can track delays, if any, from home through information system installed by IndiGo and others; In the event of flight cancellation IndiGo will ensure automatic full refund for tickets." "If passengers are stranded, they will be put up at hotels where accommodation has been booked by airlines. Special measures have been taken to ensure senior citizens are not discomfited in any manner. They will be provided with lounge access; Passengers of delayed flights will be provided with refreshments and other necessities; A 24x7 control room at the Ministry of Civil Aviation is constantly monitoring the situation on a time basis," the order further read. The Ministry of Civil Aviation said that the Central Government is fully alert to the woes of air passengers and is in constant consultation with all stakeholders. "Every possible measure, including rule exemptions as announced by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Friday, will be taken to restore schedules and ensure stability to mitigate the public's woes," the statement added. (ANI)
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