DGCA issues show cause notice to Go First for leaving behind passengers at Bengaluru airport

New Delhi [India], January 10 (ANI): The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday issued a show cause notice to the Chief Operation Officer of Go First airlines as to why enforcement action should not be taken against them for dereliction of their regulatory obligations.

On Monday, Delhi-bound Go First flight G8-116 took off from Bengaluru leaving behind 55 passengers at Bangalore airport. The matter has now come to the notice of DGCA. The airline has been given two weeks’ time to submit its reply to DGCA and based on that further action will be taken.

In a statement, the aviation regulatory body mentioned that the incident report was sought by DGCA from Go First on Monday. “After perusal of the reply submitted by Go First through email dated Tuesday, prima facie it emerges that Go First failed to comply with the provision specified at para 9 and 13 of CAR Section 3, Series C, Part II issued by DGCA resulted in violation of Para (1A) of Rule 134 read with Schedule XI of the Aircraft Rules, 1937 and Go First has failed to comply with the provision specified in para 5.2 of ATC 02 of 2019,” the statement said.

“As per the above-referred regulations, the concerned airline is responsible to ensure adequate arrangement for ground handling, preparation of load and trim sheet, flight dispatch and passenger/cargo handling and also ensure that all the ground handling staff engaged in passenger handling undergo periodic soft skill training for sensitization, courtesy, behaviour and procedures for assisting the passengers,” it added.

Many air passengers took to Twitter to register their complaints against Go First on Monday after Flight G8-116 took off for Delhi from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport around 6.30 am, while about 55 passengers were kept waiting in one of the buses as the flight took off.

The passengers were taken in four buses to the aircraft.
The passengers who left the Bangalore airport were reportedly accommodated on another flight that left four hours later, around 10 am.

Meanwhile, Go First said it initiated an inquiry into the incident. Further, the airline said it has decided to offer all affected passengers one free ticket for travel on any domestic route in the next 12 months.

“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to the passengers due to an inadvertent oversight in the reconciliation of flight G8 116, from Bengaluru to Delhi. Passengers were accommodated on alternate airlines to Delhi and onward to other destinations. We deeply appreciate and value your patience for bearing with us,” said Go First statement.

“In line with our philosophy of customer centricity, the airline has decided to offer all affected passengers one free ticket for travel on any domestic sector in the next 12 months. The airline has initiated an inquiry into the incident and the matter is being investigated. All concerned staff off the roaster till the inquiry is going on,” added the airline.