DGCA to suspend flight for 2 weeks if anybody found doing photography inside

Sept. 12: Civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Saturday issued a whip as per which, a scheduled flight will be suspended for a period of two weeks if anyone is found doing photography inside it. This comes after the regulator found alleged violation of safety and social distancing protocols by media persons in IndiGo airline’s Chandigarh-Mumbai flight that had actor Kangana Ranaut as a passenger.

As per a video of the incident that took place inside Wednesday’s flight, reporters and cameramen were jostling and bunching up to get a comment from Ranaut, who was sitting in one of the front rows of the plane. DGCA further alleged that most of the reporters were without masks, which are a prerequisite during the entire duration of the flight in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The DGCA reminded the airlines of Rule 13 of the Aircraft Rules that state “no person shall take any photograph except in accordance with and subject to the terms and conditions of permission in writing granted by the Director-General, a Joint Director General, a Deputy Director-General or the Director of Regulations and Information of the Civil Aviation Department.”

DGCA further said that “In spite of these regulations, it has been noted that at times, the Airlines have failed to follow these stipulations primarily because of lack of diligence on their part. Needless to say that such deviations result in a compromise in maintaining the highest standards of safety and therefore, is not allowed.” It is in this backdrop that the DGCA order on Saturday said, “It has been decided that from now on, incase any violation (photography) occurs on any scheduled passenger aircraft – the schedule of flight for that particular route shall be suspended for a period of two weeks from the next day (of the incident).”