DGCA says IndiGo 'inappropriately' handled child with special needs at Ranchi Airport

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued show-cause notice to domestic carrier IndiGo in relation to the case of a specially-abled child being denied boarding by the airline at Ranchi Airport.

The regulator had launched a fact-finding enquiry into the incident for which it had formed a three-member committee. It added that the committee had submitted its report. "The proceedings of the committee were partly held in the open and partly in camera as per the request of the affected family," said DGCA. 

DGCA, in an official statement, pointed out that the finding of the committee prima facie indicates 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-conformances," read the statement. 

DGCA explained that IndiGo has time till May 26 to respond after which appropriate action will be taken. 

"To meet the ends of justice, the Airline has been provided an opportunity for personal hearing as well as for making written submissions in next ten days from today i.e. till 26th of May 2022. After hearing their submissions, appropriate action as per law would be taken," read the statement. 

"We have received the communication from DGCA on the matter and will respond in due course," read IndiGo's statement on DGCA observation.  

On May 7, an IndiGo manager did not allow a specially-abled child to board a flight at Ranchi Airport. According to the eye-witness account shared on Twitter and Facebook, IndiGo manager allegedly had announced that the specially-abled child was a flight risk. He even compared the child's condition, teenage assertiveness, to that of drunken passengers. He judged the child unfit for travel. Ultimately, the flight departed for Hyderabad, leaving behind the child and their parents.

DGCA had ordered the fact-finding probe a day after an eyewitness account of the incident went viral on social media. 

(With Inputs from Manish Pant)

Also read: IndiGo Ranchi incident: DGCA forms 3-member 'fact-finding' team