NEW DELHI: Following the frenzy on actress Kangana Ranaut’s Chandigarh-Mumbai flight on September 9, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has sought a report from the airline, IndiGo, over the alleged violation of safety and Covid-time norms of social distancing and wearing masks.
Videos of the flight once it touched down in Mumbai show some passengers — reporters and cameramen — leaving their seats and rushing to the front row where Ranaut was seated to try and and show her visuals.
Crew members are heard repeatedly making announcements for passengers to observe onboard norms in a video of these chaotic moments after the plane touched down in Mumbai.
In one of the announcements, the crew can be heard pleading: “Please understand, we all are equal. Please do not harass any passenger. Kindly follow all safety rules and remain seated till seat belt is on.”
In a statement, IndiGo said: “We have given our statement to DGCA regarding the matter pertaining to flight 6E 264 from Chandigarh to Mumbai, on September 9, 2020. We would like to reiterate that our cabin crew, as well as the captain followed all the requisite protocols, including announcements to restrict photography, follow social distancing and maintain overall safety. IndiGo also followed the requisite protocol of documenting this matter in its post-flight report. We are committed to providing a safe, hassle-free experience to our passengers.”
Airlines had earlier this year barred standup comedian Kunal Kamra from flying for some months after he had confronted TV anchor Arnab Goswami on IndiGo’s Mumbai-Lucknow flight on January 28, 2020. IndiGo had same day banned Kamra for six months and then other Indian carriers also grounded him for some time.