No airline, however large, will be permitted to cause hardship to passengers: Naidu
New Delhi (PTI): No airline, however large, will be permitted to cause hardship to passengers through planning failures and non-compliance with regulations, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said on Tuesday asserting that IndiGo was being accountable for the mass disruptions in its flight schedules.
Making a statement in Lok Sabha, he said "strict and appropriate action will be taken" against IndiGo for the flight disruptions that have affected passengers across the country.
The minister said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has already issued notices to IndiGo and that the airline is being held fully accountable for the chaos caused by its internal crew-rostering failures.
ALSO READ: Arnab Goswami’s Homecoming? Anchor tears into Modi Government over aviation chaos
"Safety in civil aviation is completely non-negotiable," he said, adding that IndiGo had assured to comply with the Revised Flight Duty Time Limitations directed by the DGCA.
Naidu said despite these assurances, prima-facie it was observed that internal rostering disruptions led to large-scale cancellations, causing inconvenience to thousands of passengers.
"The government is determined to build a more robust and competitive aviation ecosystem. Through our policies, we are encouraging more new airlines to start and operate in India, ensuring fair access to airport capacity and eliminating any possibility of a duopoly controlling connectivity and pricing in our skies," he said.
"More airlines mean more choice, more affordability and more resilience for passengers," the minister said.
He said the government will remain vigilant until full normalcy is achieved and will continue to ensure that every passenger in India travels safely, comfortably and with the respect they deserve.
IndiGo's daily flights had fallen drastically to 706 on December 5, recovered to over 1,800 flights on Monday and were expected to rise further on Tuesday, the minister said.
He said IndiGo flight schedules are stabilising and all other airlines continue to operate smoothly across the country.
"IndiGo was ordered to issue refunds promptly and more than Rs 750 crore has already reached passengers," the minister said.
ALSO READ: Indigo crisis: Turbulence hits dreams of Gulf job aspirants in M’luru; interviews shifted to Mumbai
He said airports across the country are reporting normal conditions, with no crowding or distress.
"Refunds, baggage tracing and passenger support measures remain under the supervision of the ministry. Directorate General of Civil Aviation has issued show-cause notices to IndiGo's senior leadership and commenced a detailed enforcement investigation," Naidu said.
He said depending on the outcome, strict and appropriate action empowered under the Aircraft Act and Rules - will be taken.
"No airline, however large, will be permitted to cause such hardship to passengers through planning failures, non-compliance or non-adherence to statutory provisions," Naidu said.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the minister's statement, opposition parties staged a walkout in Lok Sabha.
Naidu said the ministry has advised the regulator DGCA to act immediately and inquiry orders and show-cause notice to CEO and COO of Indigo were issued.
"Also, IndiGo has been directed to restructure its operations, add reserve crew capacity, improve passenger handling and restore normal schedules without delay. Enhanced oversight on the ground continues," he said.
Naidu said passengers' interests have been at the centre of every decision taken by the Government, which intervened to cap fares after sudden demand spikes and opportunistic pricing.
He said refunds have been issued to passengers seeking the same and rebooking of tickets was done without any additional charges.
"We are monitoring each and every case of baggage handing over and ensuring that communication with passengers is timely and dignified. As informed by IndiGo, the process of refunds, baggage handover are at its final stages. Our 24×7 Control Room continues to assist passengers directly whenever needed," Naidu said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
===================
The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
