IndiGo in soup over treatment of special child at Ranchi airport

NEW DELHI:  Within 10 days of setting up a three-member fact-finding team to investigate the incident wherein a specially-abled teenager was denied boarding by IndiGo staffers at Ranchi airport, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has said the airline handled the boy “inappropriately”. A show-cause notice has been issued to the airline over “non-conformances” with regulations, asking it to respond by May 26.

“A fact finding enquiry was ordered by DGCA into the unfortunate event of denied boarding to a special child along with his parents in Ranchi on May 7. The committee has submitted a report,” the DGCA said. The proceedings of the committee were partly held in open and partly in-camera as per the request of the affected family.

“The findings of the committee prima facie indicate inappropriate handling of passengers by the IndiGo staff thereby resulting in certain non-conformances with the applicable regulations. In view of this, it has been decided to issue a show cause notice to the concerned airline through its authorised representative to explain as to why suitable enforcement action should not be taken against them for the non-conformance,” the aviation regulator said.

The airline has been given an opportunity for personal hearing as well as for making written submissions in the next 10 days. “After hearing the submissions, appropriate action as per the law would be taken,’’ DGCA added.