Over two months after a massive controversy erupted after low-budget airline IndiGo refused to board a special needs child, aviation regular Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday announced that all airlines will have to inform in writing if they refuse to board a person with a disability.
Issuing amendments to its rules to improve the accessibility of boarding and flying for persons with disability and reduced mobility (Divyangjan), the aviation regulator said that an airline shall not refuse carriage of any person on the basis of disability and/or reduced mobility or else inform the flyer in writing with the reasons therein immediately.
The DGCA has made amends to the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) Section-3, Series M Part I “Carriage by Air – Persons with Disability (Divyangjan) and/or Persons with Reduced Mobility” in order to improve the accessibility of boarding and flying for the disabled.
The revised rules state:
– Airlines shall not refuse carriage of any person on the basis of disability and/or reduced mobility.
– In case, an airline perceives that the health of such a passenger may deteriorate in-flight, the said passenger will have to be examined by a doctor in person – who shall in his/her opinion, categorically state the medical condition and whether the passenger is fit to fly or not.
– After obtaining the medical opinion, the airline shall take an appropriate decision on the carriage of such passenger.
– In case of refusal of carriage by the airline, it shall inform the passenger in writing with the reasons therein immediately.
The aviation regulator had on June 3 proposed the aforementioned regulations, six days after it imposing a Rs 5 lakh penalty on IndiGo for denying boarding to a disabled boy at Ranchi airport on May 7.
IndiGo Ranchi airport incident
In May this year, the news of a boy with special needs being denied a chance to board the flight by IndiGo staff had surfaced. Reacting to the same, IndiGo on May 9 said the boy was denied permission to board the Ranchi-Hyderabad flight as he was visibly in panic. After the boy was prohibited from boarding, his parents also decided not to enter the plane.
