'Unacceptable': Jyotiraditya Scindia After 'Unruly' IndiGo Flight Passenger Hit Pilot

‘unacceptable’: jyotiraditya scindia after ‘unruly’ indigo flight passenger hit pilot

After an IndiGo flight passenger physically assaulted the aircraft’s pilot while he was making announcement regarding the delay in takeoff at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Aiport, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Aviation Minister asserted that ‘unruly behaviour’ on board planes will not be tolerated and every such incident will be dealt with as strongly as existing legal provisions allow.

Taking to X, Scindia explained that ‘unprecedented fog’ was the reason behind the complete shutdown of operations at the Delhi airport. He said that visibility fluctuated for several and at times dropped to zero between 5 AM to 9 AM in Delhi on Sunday morning. “The authorities, therefore, were compelled to enforce a shut-down of operations for some time even on CAT III runways (CAT III runways cannot handle Zero-Visibility operations). The decision was taken keeping passenger safety in mind, which remains the foremost priority for all in the aviation ecosystem,” said Union Minister of Civil Aviation.

He further listed steps taken by Delhi Airport to mitigate the situation.

• Delhi Airport has been asked to immediately expedite the operationalization of the CAT III-enabled 4th runway (in addition to the existing CAT III-enabled runway) to the satisfaction of the DGCA India, in order to get approvals.
• The DGCA will issue an SOP for airlines on better communication and facilitation of passengers to minimise discomfort in view of flight cancellations & delays due to adverse weather.

“It is my earnest request to all travellers to bear with us during this difficult period. All stakeholders are trying their best to minimize passenger inconvenience. Incidences of unruly behaviour amidst this are unacceptable, and will be dealt with strongly in line with the existing legal provisions. I would like to assure everyone that all stakeholders are working round the clock to minimise the fog-related impact,” Scindia added.

Jyotiraditya Scindia’s remarks came after IndiGo flight passenger — Sahil Katari hit the pilot. A video of the attack, which was taken by another passenger onboard, has now gone viral on social media. Following the incident, the airline announced that it has formed an internal committee to address the issue, officials told news agency ANI. As per the officials, the committee will discuss listing the passenger on the ‘No Fly List’ under the category of unruly behaviour

Multiple delays have been reported at several airports across northern India due to heavy fog and adverse weather conditions. Around 250 flights were either cancelled or diverted on Sunday. Major airlines such as IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Vistara have warned that ongoing bad weather conditions in Delhi and Kolkata could further impact flight schedules.