Flight delays: Scindia lists 6 steps for mitigating passenger inconvenience – from ‘war rooms’ at airports to sufficient CISF manpower
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Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) addressing passenger inconvenience during fog-induced disruptions were issued to all airlines yesterday.In response to fog-induced disruptions, the following measures are being implemented, listed Scindia in a post on X (formerly Twitter):
- Additional to the SOPs, thrice-daily incidence reporting has been requested for all six metro airports.
- The implementation of
DGCA Directives , SOPs, and CARs will be regularly monitored and reported. - ‘War Rooms’ will be established by airports and airline operators at the six metro airports to promptly address any passenger inconvenience issues.
- Round-the-clock availability of sufficient CISF manpower will be ensured.
- RWY 29L at the Delhi Airport has been made CAT III operational today.
- The operationalization of RWY 10/28 as CAT III at Delhi Airport will also be undertaken after re-carpeting.
In response to Scindia’s directives on Monday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) introduced a new protocol for airlines. This comes after widespread disruption caused by fog, resulting in numerous passengers facing prolonged delays inside planes, airports, and on tarmacs.
Under the new protocol, airlines must proactively cancel flights expected to be delayed by over three hours. Real-time flight status information, including expected departure times, must be communicated to passengers promptly to prevent overcrowding at airports.
The updated SOP mandates that airlines publish accurate real-time delay information on their websites. Additionally, affected passengers are to be informed in advance via SMS, WhatsApp, and email. Displaying updated information about flight delays to waiting passengers at airports is also a mandatory requirement.
Warning passengers to refrain from engaging in unruly behavior, Scindia emphasized this caution following an incident where a passenger assaulted an IndiGo co-pilot due to a significant flight delay. Scindia assured the public that all stakeholders are diligently working around the clock to minimize the impact caused by fog-related disruptions and instructed the DGCA to intervene.
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