The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday flagged violations of flight safety norms and COVID-19 protocol by television news crews on board an Chandigarh-Mumbai IndiGo flight carrying Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut earlier this week.
The DGCA also asked IndiGo to take “appropriate action” against the violators, senior officials said.
The regulator’s actions came after a video went viral on social media showing unruly behaviour of television crew during the flight. The video shows the media persons crowding the aircraft’s aisle and pushing one another to gain access to the actor, who was seated in one of the front rows.
“There are multiple issues. The prominent one include photography on board in violation of Aircraft Rules 13, violation of Covid protocols and certain actions falling within the purview of unruly behaviour on board. We have asked the airline to take appropriate action against those responsible,” said a senior DGCA official.
As per the DGCA rules, an airline can put an “unruly passenger” on its “no-fly list” for a certain period of time after an internal enquiry.
The incident occurred on September 9, 2020 on-board flight 6E-264.
The more than dozen television crew members who were with the actor from Chandigarh to cover her return to Mumbai amid the controversy, have been accused of violation of flight safety and COVID-19 related physical distancing norms.
The media frenzy inconvenienced other passengers, some of whom took to Twitter to protest, posting videos of the incident. Some also highlighted the apparently lenient attitude of the airline towards the media crew even as it had punished stand-up comic Kunal Karma with a six-month flying ban for allegedly heckling a TV anchor on board an IndiGo flight.
No action was taken against the television crew, who continued broadcasting the actor’s arrival in Mumbai surrounded by CISF commandos. The Union government has provided Ms. Ranout Y+ category security as she had raised concerns over a possible attack in Mumbai.
According to officials Ms. Ranaut had not lodged any compliant with the airline or any other authority over the actions of the media personnel.
Ms. Ranaut who is on a verbal spat with the Maharashtra government, more specifically with the ruling Shiv Sena on some of her controversial, questionable remarks on Mumbai and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was returning to challenge and protest the “motivated & illegal’ demolition of her office in Mumbai by the local civic body.
In a statement IndiGo said, “We have given our statement to DGCA regarding the matter. We would like to reiterate that our cabin crew, as well as the captain followed all the requisite protocols, including announcements to restrict photography, follow social distancing and maintain overall safety. IndiGo also followed the requisite protocol of documenting this matter in its post-flight report.”
“We are in receipt of certain directions from DGCA. We will follow the prescribed guidelines,” the statement added.
However, flight safety experts said the airline should have handed over the errant passengers to law enforcement agencies immediately.
“Yes, what the TV crew did is a violation. Such action disrupted normal and safe operations of the flight. If any one is creating a nuisance to all passengers and ignoring the instructions and warning of the crew, this is a clear cut violation & disruption of safety,” said flight safety expert Mark Martin, CEO, Martin Consulting
“Usually on such circumstances the pilot calls for an emergency priority landing at the nearest airport and all disrupting passengers are arrested upon door opening and taken to custody. Such actions are non-bailable according to International Security Laws,” he said.
Stating that no such thing happened in this case, Mr Martin said, “As all recent in-flight dramas have a political element into it, the airline and the regulator either turn meek or become overzealous in their action for instance in the Kamal Karma case. The poor chap was not causing any risk to flight, he was simply asking questions to a ‘politically connected’ fellow passenger without harming anyone,” Mr. Martin said.
Commenting on this incident journalist turned Mumbai Congress spokesperson Ramkishor Trivedi said, “Since fellow passengers suffered due to Kangana's presence, she should be banned from flying.”
(With inputs from Jagriti Chandra)
