FOUR PASSENGERS DEBOARDED FOR NOT FOLLOWING COVID PROTOCOLS

NEW DELHI: In a first, four passengers on board an Alliance Air flight from Jammu to New Delhi on Tuesday were deboarded for not following Covid-19 protocols inside the flight, according to Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The passengers were charged as “unruly” and handed over to security agencies.

NEW DELHI: The DGCA informed the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that action is being taken against passengers not wearing masks properly despite repeated warnings and they will be de-boarded from planes before departure and treated as “unruly passengers”.

The high court expressed satisfaction over the steps being taken by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and said it hoped that the action will continue in the same spirit considering the safety of passengers from Covid-19 infection.

A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and C Hari Shankar observed that the court was initially planning to keep the suo motu case open to continue monitoring the implementation of directions issued by the court earlier.

However, after noticing the proactive action by the DGCA, the court decided to close the case and observed that initiation of punitive action against the violators is a welcome step, the bench said.

Justice Shankar had on March 8 taken suo motu cognisance of the situation after witnessing passengers not wearing masks properly during transportation from airport to the flight and their stubborn reluctance to wear masks properly.

THE DELHI HIGH COURT EXPRESSED SATISFACTION OVER THE STEPS BEING TAKEN BY THE DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF CIVIL AVIATION