Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that unruly passenger conduct is intolerable, following an incident where a passenger assaulted an IndiGo pilot during an announcement about a flight delay. In a statement on X, Scindia highlighted that all stakeholders are tirelessly working to mitigate the impact of fog-related challenges. Against the backdrop of the assault on a pilot at Delhi airport on Sunday, the minister underscored the unacceptability of such unruly behavior.
“Incidences of disruptive behavior in these situations are unacceptable and will be strongly addressed in accordance with existing legal provisions,” he said.
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for airlines
Scindia announced that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) would release a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for airlines to improve communication and passenger facilitation, aiming to reduce discomfort caused by flight cancellations and delays due to adverse weather conditions.
Fog related issues
The dense fog on Sunday significantly disrupted operations at Delhi airport, leading to the diversion, cancellation, and delay of numerous flights. Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia comes up with a solution and measure to this.
CAT III-enabled fourth runway
Civil Aviation Minister urged Delhi Airport to swiftly complete the operationalisation of its CAT III-enabled fourth runway, seeking approval from the civil aviation regulator DGCA. The national capital’s airport already boasts a CAT III-enabled runway, facilitating precision landings in low-visibility conditions.
On Sunday (January 14), Delhi experienced unprecedented fog, causing fluctuating visibility and, at times, zero visibility between 5 AM and 9 AM. Similar conditions persisted on Monday morning. Scindia, addressing the situation on social media platform X, revealed that the Delhi Airport authorities had temporarily halted operations even on CAT III runways (which cannot handle zero-visibility operations) to prioritize passenger safety.
Delhi Airport current runways
Delhi airport currently operates with three out of its four runways: RW 09/27, RW 11R/29L, and RW 10/28, as one of them is currently non-operational. As the largest airport in the country, Delhi Airport manages approximately 1,300 flights on a daily basis.
Flight delays
Over the past 48 hours, approximately 600 flights, both domestic and international, faced delays due to severe weather conditions. To address future challenges, DGCA will issue a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for airlines, focusing on improved communication and passenger facilitation to minimize inconvenience caused by flight cancellations and delays in adverse weather.
In late December, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued show cause notices to Air India and SpiceJet. The notices were in response to the airlines’ failure to deploy pilots trained to operate in low-visibility conditions, leading to diversions of several flights during dense fog at the Delhi airport.
Passenger concern top priority
Scindia expressed empathy for travelers, urging patience during this challenging period. He reassured the public that all stakeholders are tirelessly working to minimize the impact of fog-related issues. The minister strongly condemned unruly behavior and emphasized that it would be addressed in accordance with existing legal provisions.