India: Civil aviation watchdog imposes fine on IndiGo for not allowing disabled child to board

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the civil aviation watchdog in India, imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on IndiGo on Saturday (May 28). The action was taken against the airline for denying boarding to a specially-abled child at Ranchi airport earlier month.

On May 7, reports emerged that the Hyderabad-bound IndiGo flight left behind the child and their parents at the Ranchi airport. In the aftermath, a DGCA panel decided to issue a show-cause notice to the airline. The authorities cited the event as "inappropriate handling" of passengers.

Now, the fine has been imposed. The regulator slammed the incident. DGCA said the behaviour of the IndiGo ground staff and the handling of the child was "deficient" and it "exacerbated the situation".

It noted, "A more compassionate handling would have smoothened nerves, and calmed the child. It would have obviated the need for the extreme step resulting in denied boarding to the passengers."

"Special situations deserve extraordinary response but the airline staff failed to rise up to the occasion and in the process committed lapses," it added.

Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill hailed the decision. He praised BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, his former colleague in the party and now Union Minister of civil aviation, for imposing the fine.

He tweeted, "Good decision by @DGCAIndia @JM_Scindia for imposing fine of Rs 5 Lac on Indigo for not letting a child with special needs board the aircraft - Concept of "no frills" airline does not & cannot mean insensitive "customer service" !"

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