Time to get serious about rights of air travellers
The proposal for an ombudsman has been hanging fire for more than two years
Thirty of the 166 passengers on board a Jet Airways Mumbai-Jaipur flight suffered nose and ear bleeds last week as the cockpit crew forgot to switch on the mechanism to maintain cabin pressure, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). This may seem like a minor incident — fortunately, no one needed hospitalisation — but it could have been tragic. Low pressure in aircraft cabins has been known to cause fatalities before. Jet’s response, while displaying its willingness to co-operate with an investigation into the matter, and announcing that the crew will not be flying again till this is complete, is bereft of any contrition.
It’s also important to establish that there is no connection between the airline’s larger problems — it is in deep financial trouble — and the safety of its flights, Fortunately, modern aviation is tremendously safe, with minimal human involvement. But as Jet’s experience shows, what little involvement is there, could still cause problems. Aviation regulators should be always eagle-eyed, but especially about airlines that are in trouble otherwise. The incident couldn’t have come at a worse time for the sector, with most airlines reeling under losses.
At least one passenger has sought compensation for his experience on the Jet flight. At the time of going to press, no one has sued the airline. Some may choose to. It is in this context that the passenger charter the civil aviation ministry is putting together becomes important. This will explicitly lay out the rights of passengers. India’s air passenger traffic grew from 14 million passengers in 2000-01 to 140 million passengers in 2017. And one gaping hole that puts a dampener on India’s reputation as the thirdlargest domestic aviation market in the world is the absence of an air travel dispute tribunal or ombudsman. There is no forum for air travellers if they feel they’ve been wronged by an airline. A proposal for an ombudsman has been hanging fire. The charter should address these issues and show that the government is serious about the rights and safety of air travellers.