New Delhi: The Centre today issued show-cause notices to IndiGo Airlines and the Mumbai Airport after a video of passengers eating on the tarmac at the airport went viral on social media.
Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia convened a late-night meeting with ministry officials on Monday to address critical concerns within the sector.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has requested comprehensive responses from both IndiGo and Mumbai Airport by the end of the day.
Videos and images circulating on social media on Monday showed stranded passengers sitting on the tarmac beside an aircraft in Mumbai, casually indulging in meals. This bizarre sight was a consequence of the extensive flight disruptions experienced at Delhi airport due to dense fog on the previous day.
"Both Indigo and Mumbai airport were not proactive in anticipating the situation and making the appropriate facilitation arrangements for passengers at the airport," the aviation ministry's statement read.
The ministry pointed out specific lapses in the handling of the situation. For instance, the aircraft was assigned a remote bay (C-33) instead of a Contact Stand, which is suitable for walking passengers to and from an aircraft from an allocated boarding gate, it said in the statement.
Responding to the notice, IndiGo said it has initiated an internal inquiry into the incident.
"IndiGo has already initiated an internal inquiry to address the issue and will be responding to the notice as per protocol," it said in a statement.
Over the past two days, the IGI Airport in Delhi has witnessed scenes of utter chaos as stranded passengers faced prolonged delays. Shouts and slogans echoed through the terminals as frustrated travelers expressed their discontent. In response, airport personnel and ground staff worked tirelessly to manage the situation and assist the affected passengers.
After hundreds of flights arriving at and departing from Delhi's Indira Gandhi Airport faced severe delays due to intense fog over the last two days, Mr Scindia yesterday announced that the ministry is taking steps to avoid situations like these in the future.