The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has fined Go Air Rs 10 lakh for violating aviation rules.
On January 9, a Go Air flight departed from the Bengaluru airport, leaving behind 55 passengers in the passenger coach.
The aviation regulator has issued a show-cause notice to the Accountable Manager of Go First asking them to explain why enforcement action should not be taken against them for failing to meet their regulatory obligations.
Officials said that Go First had submitted its response to the notice on January 25. The response was lengthy and detailed, and it explained all of the reasons why Go First should be granted the permit.
The reply from Go First reveals that there was a problem with communication and coordination between the terminal coordinator, commercial staff, and the crew when boarding passengers in the aircraft.
The airline was found to have failed to meet many of the requirements set out in the Air Transport Circular 02 of 2019, which led to a financial penalty of Rs 10 lakh.
Earlier, the aviation regulator had noted that Go First had failed to comply with the relevant rules in the incident of a flight leaving behind 55 passengers in the passenger coach at Bengaluru airport on January 9. In this incident, Go First left 55 passengers in the passenger coach when they were supposed to be boarding the plane.
In the instant case, multiple mistakes such as a lack of proper communication, coordination, reconciliation, and confirmation led to a highly avoidable situation. Consequently, the DGCA issued a show-cause notice.
The airline has initiated an inquiry into the incident and is investigating it. All affected passengers will be offered one free ticket for travel on any domestic route.
The airline is committed to serving its customers and has decided to provide one free ticket to any domestic sector for the next 12 months.
