New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday issued a fresh set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) in response to flight disruptions and chaos at airports caused by fog-related delays.
In a post on X, the Scindia wrote, “In view of the fog-induced disruptions, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on mitigating passenger inconvenience were issued yesterday to all the airlines.”
“1. In addition to these SOPs, we have sought incidence reporting thrice daily for all the 6 metro airports.
2. Implementation of the @DGCAIndia Directives, SOPs and CARs will be monitored and reported regularly.
3. ‘War Rooms’ will be set up by airports and airline operators at the 6 Metro Airports to address any issues with regard to passenger inconvenience with immediacy.
4. Sufficient CISF manpower availability will be ensured round-the-clock.
5. RWY 29L at @DelhiAirport has been made CAT III operational today.
6. Operationalization of RWY 10/28 as CAT III at Delhi Airport after re-carpeting will also be undertaken”.
On Monday, Scindia, in a post on X, mentioned ongoing efforts to “mitigate the situation in the near future,” emphasizing the continuous round-the-clock collaboration of all stakeholders to minimize the impact of fog-related disruptions.
Regarding the challenges faced by passengers due to adverse weather conditions, the aviation minister announced, “The DGCA will issue an SOP for airlines on better communication and facilitation of passengers to minimize discomfort in view of flight cancellations & delays due to adverse weather.”
Addressing the unacceptable incident of a passenger assaulting an IndiGo pilot during a flight, the minister stated, “Incidences of unruly behaviour amidst this are unacceptable, and will be dealt with strongly in line with the existing legal provisions.”
IndiGo declared the passenger, Sahil Kataria, as ‘unruly’ and handed him over to law enforcement agencies. The airline established an internal panel for appropriate action, including the possibility of placing the passenger on the ‘no-fly list.’