DGCA and BCAS Slam Hefty Fines on IndiGo and Mumbai Airport After Flyers Seen Dining on Tarmac

IndiGo and Mumbai airport were fined Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 90 lakh, respectively, for the incident where passengers sat on the tarmac and ate food while waiting for their delayed flight. This penalty is the highest amount imposed on IndiGo in recent times. The fines were issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). The DGCA imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on both IndiGo and Mumbai airport, while BCAS fined IndiGo Rs 1.2 crore and Mumbai airport Rs 60 lakh.

The DGCA stated that passengers being on an "active apron" for an extended period violated norms and posed risks to both individuals and aircraft. Additionally, the DGCA fined Air India and SpiceJet for violating regulations related to rostering pilots trained for low visibility (CAT III trained), imposing a Rs 30 lakh fine on both airlines.

Regarding the IndiGo incident, BCAS mentioned that passengers from flight 6E 2195 disembarked on the tarmac, had food, and "intermingled" with others while moving to and from the adjacent apron control building.

Earlier, both IndiGo and Mumbai Airport received show cause notices from the Ministry of Civil Aviation over the January 15 incident. The notice highlighted that IndiGo allowed passengers from flight 6E 2195 to disembark and board flight 6E 2091 without proper screening.