IndiGo airline received much flak after it denied boarding to a differently-abled child on a Hyderabad-bound flight at the Ranchi airport.
Representational image . Reuters
Responding to an escalating row over IndiGo not allowing a specially abled child to board one of its flights in Ranchi, CEO Ronojoy Dutta has said “flight safety comes first” and that there should be no potential disruptions on the flight according to rules.
Speaking to NDTV, Dutta said, “We always tell employees flight safety is Number 1. If you are in doubt, please always err on the side of flight safety. So how do we make sure that flight safety is not just lip service but is actually working. One is training. The second thing is empowerment. We don’t try to second guess the captain’s, flight attendant or flight manager’s decision.”
Dutta had earlier expressed regret over the incident and offered to buy an electric wheelchair for the specially abled child. He said the airline staff took “the best possible decision” under difficult circumstances.
As the boy was prohibited from boarding the airline’s Ranchi-Hyderabad flight on Saturday, his parents — who were accompanying him — also decided not to board the plane.
“Throughout the check-in and boarding process, our intent of course was to carry the family. However, at the boarding area, the teenager was visibly in panic,” Dutta said.
Also read: Indigo fiasco: How flying is still a nightmare for specially abled people in India
Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Twitter that no human being should have to go through this and he himself is investigating the Ranchi incident.
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has asked the Jharkhand police to lodge an FIR against IndiGo as there was a prima facie violation of section 7 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, which is cognisable in nature.
NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo has also asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to initiate an inquiry in the matter and take necessary action against the airline and its manager.
The incident came to light after other passengers highlighted it on social media on 8 May.
With inputs from agencies
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