India imposes enhanced passenger handling steps at airports
India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed all airlines operating international flights into and out of India to implement enhanced handling measures with immediate effect ensure continued passenger comfort and safety.
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,' the DGCA said.
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.'
Airlines are required 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.
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.
The DGCA said "all airlines must 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.'
WAM
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
4 days ago
- Gulf Today
Bangladesh banknotes replace ousted PM's father portrait
Bangladesh on Sunday issued new banknotes to replace designs featuring its founding president, the father of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina who was overthrown last year. The South Asian nation of some 170 million people has been run by a caretaker government since Hasina fled -- whose trial opened Sunday on charges of trying to crush the uprising against her government in August 2024. Until now, all notes featured the portrait of her father, the late Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who led Bangladesh from independence from Pakistan in 1971 until soldiers assassinated him and most of his family in a 1975 coup. "Under the new series and design, the notes will not feature any human portraits, but will instead showcase natural landscapes and traditional landmarks," Bangladesh Bank spokesman Arif Hossain Khan told the media. Among the designs in the Muslim-majority nation are images of Hindu and Buddhist temples, as well as historical palaces. They also include artwork of the late painter Zainul Abedin, depicting the Bengal famine during British colonial rule. Another will depict the national martyrs' memorial for those who died in the independence war against Pakistan. On Sunday, notes for three of the nine different denominations were released. "The new notes will be issued from the central bank's headquarters, and later from its other offices across the country," he added. "The other denominations of the notes with new designs will be released in phases". Existing notes and coins will remain in circulation alongside the new notes. It is not the first time that the design has changed to reflect changing politics. Initial notes issued in 1972 -- after Bangladesh changed its name from East Pakistan -- featured a map. Later notes featured Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who led the Awami League, which Hasina also led during her 15 years in power. When other parties were in charge -- dominated by the powerful Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) -- historic and archaeological sites featured. The Awami League was banned last month pending the trial of Hasina and other party leaders. Hasina, 77, is in self-imposed exile in India, and has defied an extradition order to attend her trial. Agence France-Presse
Gulf Today
5 days ago
- Gulf Today
Trump says Pakistani representatives coming to US next week for trade talks
US President Donald Trump said on Friday representatives from Pakistan are coming to the United States next week as the South Asian country seeks to make a deal on tariffs. Pakistan faces a potential 29% tariff on its exports to the United States due to a $3 billion trade surplus with the world's biggest economy, under tariffs announced by Washington last month on countries around the world. Trump said he would have no interest in making a deal with the South Asian country or its neighbour, India, if they were to engage in war with each other. The two nuclear-armed rivals used fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery in four days of clashes this month, their worst fighting in decades. "As you know, we're very close making a deal with India," Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews after departing Air Force One. Indian Trade Minister Piyush Goyal visited Washington recently to advance trade talks, with both sides aiming to sign an interim agreement by early July. India faces 26% tariffs on shipments to the US. Reuters reported last week that India is likely to allow US firms to bid for contracts worth over $50 billion, mainly from federal entities, as it negotiates a trade deal with Washington. Reuters
Khaleej Times
23-05-2025
- Khaleej Times
India, Pakistan denied IndiGo flight permission to cross border to avoid hailstorm
An IndiGo passenger plane attempting to avoid severe weather en route to Indian Kashmir was denied permission to divert towards Pakistan by both the Indian Air Force and Pakistan, India's aviation regulator said on Friday. No passengers were injured when the flight from India's capital Delhi to the northern Indian city of Srinagar was forced to fly through a hailstorm. But a post-landing inspection revealed damage to the aircraft's nose, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement, adding that the incident was under investigation. An image shared by the Times of India newspaper on the social media platform X showed a large hole in the front of the aircraft, while a video also circulating on the site showed passengers screaming and praying during the turbulence. Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of the video. The incident highlights the risks commercial airlines and passengers face after tensions between India and Pakistan led the two nuclear-armed neighbours to close their airspaces to each other's airlines last month. The Airbus A321neo, which typically has seating capacity for 180 to 220 passengers, was first denied a request to turn towards the India-Pakistan border by the Indian Air Force, the regulator said, without specifying the reason. The IAF did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The flight crew then contacted the city of Lahore in Pakistan requesting entry into Pakistan's airspace, but that was also denied, the DGCA said. A spokesperson for the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority declined to comment. The crew of flight 6E 2142 then flew through the storm, choosing the shortest route to Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir. "The flight and cabin crew followed established protocol and the aircraft landed safely in Srinagar," IndiGo said in a statement. It later said the aircraft was undergoing checks in Srinagar and would resume operations once clearances had been secured. The two countries declared a truce earlier this month. Their airspaces, however, remain closed to each other's airlines.
