An uproar was witnessed at Mumbai airport after two to three GoAir flights were cancelled without prior information, triggering passengers who were seen arguing with ground staff and later held a sit-in protest.
The incident took place on Wednesday when passengers, scheduled to travel to Goa from Mumbai on a GoAir aircraft, were informed by the staff ten minutes before the scheduled take off that the flight had been cancelled.
Videos shot by the passengers showed them screaming at the staff in agitation. A man was heard saying, “sir, jhooth mat bolo aap”, indicating that the airline workers may have had the information in advance but the passengers were informed at the last moment.
Ruckus by Go Air passengers at #Goa Airport today morning.
— Shivani Mishra (@Shivani703) April 12, 2023
As per a passenger, flight was scheduled to depart at 2:10am n passengers were informed at 2am about flight cancellation.
With no alternative, an argument broke out between passengers and airline staff. pic.twitter.com/FmaZCYK9mU
A report by Times Now stated that after the ruckus, another flight was arranged by GoAir for the passengers at 6:30 am.
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Two other flights of the airline — Mumbai to Amritsar, Mumbai to Ahmedabad — were also cancelled. Mumbai to Delhi flight was delayed by one hour, fifty minutes.
Angry passengers tweeted to civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, demanding action against GoAir officials. “G8-2507 delayed yet again now rescheduled at 2:20 Am we stranded along with an infant at Chandigarh airport nothing operating no help frm airline @JM_Scindia @DGCAIndia req u to pls investigate dis airline per airport staff dis is airlines modus operandi flight is always delayed,” a Twitter user wrote.
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Another passenger tweeted, “Flight no G8 197 Go Air #goa to #Delhi which was scheduled to depart from Goa at 12:35 am is still at Goa Airport with all the passengers in flight. No info is given and still awaiting in flight at Goa. At least give some info.”
If an airline expects a delay beyond the actual scheduled departure time or revised departure time, it is liable to compensation or facilities. An old report by Economic Times quoted Captain Archit Gupta, CEO of Atom Aviation Services, as saying, “If a flight is delayed by less than 24 hours, the airline has to provide meals and refreshments to passengers. If the delay is exceeds 24 hours, hotel accommodation and transfers must be provided.”
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The rule states that if a flight is cancelled, passengers should be informed at least two weeks before the scheduled date of departure. The flyers should also be given the choice of a refund or alternate flight should be offered to them.
But if the airline operator fails to inform them, they have to be compensated in addition to receiving the refund of the air ticket price, in accordance with DGCA guidelines, the ET report stated.
