Air India fined Rs 10 lakh for not paying off flyers denied boarding

NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has fined Air India Rs 10 lakh after finding that the airline was violating rules for denying boarding — like denying compensation — to passengers holding confirmed tickets and who report to airports well in time for their flights. DGCA head Arun Kumar had recently warned airlines against not following regulations in this regard and ordered surprise checks across airports in the last few weeks.
“During our surveillance at Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi, specific instances (were detected) where Air India (was not following) the regulation. A showcause notice was issued to AI and a personal hearing given. It appears the airline doesn’t have a policy in this regard and is not paying any compensation to hapless passengers,” a DGCA statement said.