DGCA warns 2 weeks suspension of aircraft for allowing photography

Hyderabad: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has decided to ‘suspend’ scheduled passenger aircraft for a period of two weeks in case of violations including passengers clicking photographs/selfies during boarding and de-boarding.

The fresh guidelines have been issued in a wake of possible security risk and comes after media houses aired an episode where journalists were found reporting inside an aircraft. This happened in a flight en-route Chandigarh to Mumbai on 9th of September. The reportage was in regard to Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut travel’s to Mumbai ahead of Bombay Municipal Corporation’s demolition drive against her office.

Acting against the violation, The DGCA has issued a warning siting rule 13 of the aircraft rules 1937. No person is permitted from the government or from the aircraft to take photographs except in accordance with permission issued by the DGCA. This permission is however not applicable when the aircraft is landing, taking off or on ground at the defence aerodrome, the rule says.

“In spite of these regulations, it has been noted that at times, the airlines have failed to followed these stipulations primarily because of lack of diligence on their part. Needless to say that such deviations result in compromise in maintaining the highest standards of safety and therefore, is not to be allowed “

The DGCA further added, “It has been decided that from now, in case any such violations occur on any scheduled passenger aircraft- the flight route shall be suspended for a period of two weeks from next day on wards, i.e the day the following and shall be restored only after the airline has taken all necessary punitive action against those responsible for the violation”

Earlier the governing body issued a warning in January 2020 after pictures of pilots and co-pilots inside the cockpit were found in circulation. The DGCA has raised an alarm of possible security threat. The advisory said, "To ensure safety of aircraft operations, all the air operators are required to ensure provision of AIC 3 of 1997 and Operation Circular 4 of 2011 on the subject are scrupulously is followed. The crew should not indulge in photography during any phase of flight. Passengers do not indulge into photography while embarking/disembarking from the aircraft".