DGCA imposes Rs 10L fine on Air India for denying boarding to passengers without compensation
New Delhi(PTI): Aviation regulator DGCA on Tuesday said it has imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Air India for denying boarding to passengers holding valid tickets and thereafter not providing mandatory compensation to them.
"After that a series of checks were carried out by DGCA and during our surveillance at Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi, there were specific instances, in the case of Air India - where the regulation (regarding compensation to passengers) is not being followed and therefore, a show cause notice was issued to the airline and also a personal hearing was afforded," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement.
According to the regulator, Air India may not have a policy in this regard and does not pay compensation to the passengers.
"To say the least, it is a matter of serious concern and unacceptable. In the specific cases detailed in the show cause notice, after going through AI submissions, as part of enforcement action, the competent authority has levied a penalty of Rs 10 lakh," it noted.
"In addition, the Airline has been advised to immediately put the systems in place to resolve the issue - failing which further action shall be taken by DGCA," it added.
If a passenger is denied boarding despite having a valid ticket and has reported at the airport on time, certain regulations have to be followed by the airline concerned, as per the DGCA.
In case the airline concerned is able to arrange an alternative flight for the affected passenger within an hour, no compensation is to be paid, the DGCA regulations state.
However, if the airline is able to provide the alternative arrangement within next 24 hours, a compensation of up to Rs 10,000 is prescribed in the regulations.
For anything beyond 24 hours, a compensation up to Rs. 20,000 is laid down, as per the DGCA regulations.
"Our stipulations on the subject are in sync with US aviation regulator FAA and European aviation regulator EASA and similar regulations is followed globally to accord appropriate respect to passenger rights," the DGCA said on Tuesday.
Recently, the DGCA had issued strict instructions to all domestic airlines to abide by the said regulation in letter and spirit.
The DGCA had last month said that the airlines are indulging in "unfair practice" of denying boarding to passengers even when they report for their flights at the airport on time.
The aviation regulator - in an e-mail on May 2 - had asked all Indian carriers to give compensation and facilities to passengers affected by such denial of boarding, failing which it would impose financial penalties on them.
Sources alleged that Indian carriers have been overbooking their flights as COVID-19 cases are receding, and when the number of passengers exceed the number of seats in the aircraft, the airlines do not take them onboard.
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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
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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.
