Travel, Tourism & Hospitality
India's DGCA mandates new rules for airlines on passenger handling
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed all airlines operating international flights into and out of the country to implement enhanced handling measures with immediate effect to ensure continued passenger comfort and safety.
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed all airlines operating international flights into and out of the country to implement enhanced handling measures with immediate effect to ensure continued passenger comfort and safety.
The DGCA directed that airlines must proactively inform passengers about route changes, extended travel times, and any technical halts during their journey. “This communication should occur at check-in, boarding, and via digital alerts.”
This directive is in the light of the recent international airspace closures and overflight restrictions in the South Asian region. As a result, several flight routes have been significantly altered, leading to extended flight durations and the possibility of technical stops, stated the DGCA.
The key DGCA directive has called for:
*Transparent Communication: Passengers must be proactively informed about route changes, extended travel times, and any technical halts during their journey. This communication should occur at check-in, boarding, and via digital alerts.
*Enhanced In-Flight Services: Airlines are required to revise catering based on the actual block time, ensuring adequate food, hydration, and special meal availability throughout the flight, including any technical stopovers.
*Medical Readiness: Carriers must ensure onboard medical supplies are sufficient and verify the availability of emergency services at potential technical halt airports.
*Customer Support Preparedness: Call centers and customer service teams must be ready to handle delays, missed connections, and provide assistance or compensation as required by applicable regulations.
*Operational Co-ordination: Seamless coordination is essential among flight operations, customer service, ground handling, inflight services, and medical partners.
DGCA has urged the airlines to revise catering based on the actual flight time, ensuring adequate food, hydration and special meal availability throughout the flight, including any technical stopovers.
"Carriers must ensure that on-board medical supplies are sufficient and verify the availability of emergency services at potential technical halt airports," said senior DGCA officials.
In addition, aviation call centers and customer service teams must be ready to handle delays, missed connections, and provide assistance or compensation as required by applicable regulations, they stated.
The DGCA has urged all airlines to treat this directive as mandatory. "Failure to comply may attract regulatory action under the applicable Civil Aviation Requirements. This directive is effective immediately and will remain in force until further notice," it added.-TradeArabia News Service