As passengers eat on airport tarmac, BCAS issues notice to IndiGo, MIAL

Aviation security watchdog BCAS has issued show cause notices to IndiGo and Mumbai airport operator MIAL over the incident of passengers having food on the airport tarmac on Sunday, according to official sources.

Many passengers rushed out of an IndiGo aircraft at the Mumbai airport, sat on the tarmac, and some were also seen having food there as soon as their diverted Goa-Delhi flight landed after a long delay on Sunday.

Both IndiGo and MIAL were not proactive in anticipating the situation and making the appropriate facilitation arrangements for passengers at the airport, as per the notices issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

The sources said the aircraft was allotted a remote bay C-33 instead of a Contact Stand, an aircraft parking stand that is suitable for walking passengers to and from an aircraft from an allocated boarding gate. This further added to passenger woes and deprived them the opportunity to avail basic facilities like rest rooms and refreshments at the terminal, they added.

After a video of passengers eating on the tarmac at Mumbai airport went viral on social media on Monday, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia held a meeting with all ministry officials at around 12.30 am on Tuesday, the sources said.

In the early hours of Tuesday, BCAS issued show cause notices to Indigo and MIAL, they added.

Mumbai airport is operated by the Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL).