DGCA fines Air India Rs 10 lakh for not paying off Flyers denied boarding

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has fined Air India Rs 10 lakh after finding that the airline was violating rules for denying boarding — like denying compensation — to passengers holding confirmed tickets & who report to airports well in time for their flights. DGCA head Arun Kumar had recently warned airlines against not following regulations in this regard & ordered surprise checks across airports in the last few weeks.

A DGCA statement said, “During our surveillance at Bengaluru, Hyderabad & Delhi, specific instances (were detected) where Air India (was not following) the regulation. A showcause notice was issued to AI & a personal hearing given. It appears the airline doesn’t have a policy in this regard & is not paying any compensation to hapless passengers".

The statement further said that “It is a matter of serious concern & is unacceptable. After going through AI submissions, the authority has fined Rs 10 Lakh. The airline has also been advised to put the systems in place to resolve the issue, failing which further action shall be taken".

DGCA had in 2010 put in place penalties that airlines are required to pay passengers in cases of wrongful denial of boarding, sudden flight cancellation & long delays. In case of overbooking, airlines are first supposed to seek volunteers who may be okay with going on subsequent flights.

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