Indigo, Mumbai airport receive show-cause notice after video of passengers eating on tarmac goes viral

The government has sent a showcause notice to Indigo and Mumbai airport after a video of passengers dining on tarmac went viral. Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia also held a meeting with all ministry officials at midnight after the video surfaced.

Show-Cause Notice

In the notice the Ministry of Civil Aviation has requested comprehensive responses from both IndiGo and Mumbai Airport by the end of the day. The ministry also pointed out specific lapses in the handling of the situation. For instance, the aircraft was assigned a remote bay (C-33) instead of a Contact Stand, which is suitable for walking passengers to and from an aircraft from an allocated boarding gate, it said in the statement.

"Both Indigo and Mumbai airport were not proactive in anticipating the situation and making the appropriate facilitation arrangements for passengers at the airport," the aviation ministry's statement read.

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In case of no response to the notice, enforcement action including financial penalty will be initiated. Meanwhile, Indigo in a press release has mentioned that an internal enquiry to address the issue has been initiated and that the airline will be responding to the show-cause notice.

In a video that went viral, stranded Indigo passengers could be seen having dinner on the tarmac next to the Indigo flight after a flight was delayed and later diverted.