DGCA Slaps INR10 Lakh Penalty on Go First for Leaving Behind Passengers at Airport

Jan. 27—Indian civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation has imposed a penalty of INR10 lakh rupees on Go FIRST for leaving behind 55 flyers in the passenger coach at Bengaluru airport on 9 January.

The regulator had issued a show cause notice to accountable manager of the airline as to why enforcement action should not be taken against them for dereliction of their regulatory obligations.

The regulator observed from the reply of Go FIRST that there was no proper communication and coordination between terminal coordinator, commercial staff and crew regarding boarding of passengers in the aircraft.

The airline also failed to ensure adequate arrangement for ground handling, preparation of load and trim sheet, flight dispatch and passenger or cargo handling, the regulator noted.

"The airline was at fault across multiple points and no one was cross-checking on how many passengers were supposed to be on that flight. Some people have been sacked by the airline with regard to the incident. Half of the seats in the plane were empty but still it did not strike the staff that something was amiss," a senior official said.

"The airline, however, has been quick in taking action post the incident in terms of offering free tickets to the affected passengers," the official added.

After the incident, Go First, in a statement, had said that the error occurred due to an "inadvertent oversight" and all staff responsible for the incident have been put off the roster till the inquiry is on.

"We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to the passengers due to an inadvertent oversight in the reconciliation of flight G8 116, from Bengaluru to Delhi. Passengers were accommodated on alternate airlines to Delhi and onward to other destinations," Go First had said after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation issued a show-cause notice to the airline citing "multiple mistakes".

The airline also offered one free ticket to each affected passenger to avail in domestic routes, valid for the next one year.

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