Airlines can’t deny boarding over ‘disability’, want medical opinion: DGCA

STATING THAT airways can’t deny boarding to “any person on the basis of disability”, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has mentioned that if an airline feels the passenger’s well being is more likely to deteriorate in the course of the flight, it should seek the advice of a physician on the airport after which take an “appropriate decision”.

In an announcement on Friday, the DGCA mentioned it has amended its laws to enhance accessibility of boarding and flying for the specially-abled. The transfer, which was initially proposed on June 3, comes within the backdrop of the incident on the Ranchi airport in May, when IndiGo didn’t enable a specially-abled baby to board its Hyderabad-bound flight, citing potential menace to air security.

In its new Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR), the DGCA has mentioned that if an airline decides to disclaim boarding after getting medical opinion, it must instantly inform the passenger in writing and point out the explanations.

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The clause added to the CAR on “carriage by air – persons with disability and/ or persons with reduced mobility” states: “Airline shall not refuse carriage of any person on the basis of disability. However, 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, who shall categorically state the medical condition and whether the passenger is fit to fly or not. After obtaining the medical opinion, the airline shall take the appropriate call”.

According to the sooner guidelines, airways might deny boarding to any particular person on the idea of incapacity if it opined that “transportation of such persons would or might be inimical to the safety of flight”. The airways, nonetheless, had been sure to specify in writing the idea of such refusal.

Following the IndiGo incident, the aviation security regulator had performed an investigation and imposed a advantageous of Rs 5 lakh on the airline. It had famous that the airline’s floor workers might have averted the state of affairs with “more compassionate handling”, however ended up “exacerbating” the state of affairs.

While IndiGo stood by its floor workers’s resolution to disclaim boarding, saying it was carried out within the curiosity of flight security, it later mentioned that it deliberate to conduct an inside research on find out how to higher serve passengers with disabilities, particularly when they’re feeling distressed.