4 airlines face FIR for ‘flouting norms’ on Maha-Delhi route

4 airlines face FIR for ‘flouting norms’ on Maha-Delhi route

Saurabh.Sinha@timesgroup.com

19.04.2021

The Delhi government on Sunday asked the Delhi police to lodge an FIR against four airlines — Indi-Go, Vistara, SpiceJet and AirAsia India — for flouting the rule of flying in people from Maharastra to the capital with negative RT-PCR report. Airlines, on their part, said they adhere to all norms and had not received any FIR till Sunday evening.

“…it has been observed that a large number of passengers fly from Maharashtra to Delhi without a valid RT-PCR report... written to SHO of IGI Airport to lodge FIRs against four flights (possibly one each by) Indigo, Spice Jet, Vistara and Air Asia… for carrying passengers from Maharashtra without valid RT-PCR tests,” the Delhi government said in a statement on Sunday. This action has been sought under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

Delhi requires people flying in from Maharashtra to have a negative RT-PCR report from a test done within 72 hours of departure, and those coming without it must get quarantined for 14 days. States have different requirement in terms of RT-PCR reports and quarantine for those coming from other states.

An IndiGo spokesperson said the airline has not “received any FIR against it…” AirAsia India said in a statement it is in “compliance with guidelines and protocols issued by the respective regulatory bodies… we have not received any information from any authority on this matter [FIR].” Comments from Vistara and SpiceJet are awaited.

In this ever-evolving pandemic situation, airlines have had their own issues with RT-PCR test reports. In the past few months, there have been several instances of airlines globally being barred from flying to certain places for bringing in passengers with negative reports who test positive on arrival. This has happened with Indian carriers too in places like UAE and Hong Kong. Tamil Nadu had barred a UAE budget carrier for flying in passengers for some days after a person flew in with a negative report but was positive.

Since RT-PCR tests need to be undertaken 3-4 days before departure, there is a possibility of passengers getting infected sometime after giving nasal swab samples. This discrepancy pin test report and actual Covid status was found to be very high with reports from certain labs in India. After that UAE, for instance, barred airlines from flying people from India with reports from some labs here. The Emirates site says “If you are flying from India, Pakistan, Nigeria or Bangladesh, you must get your certificate from one of the labs listed in the designated laboratories document to be accepted on the flight (to Dubai).”

An airline official said: “We have given strict instructions to check-in staff to follow entry requirements of all states. If someone gives a forged test report or if someone with a negative report tests positive on arrival, what can we do? The last thing we want to do is wilfully defy rules and run foul of the law also.”

INVALID RT-PCR REPORTS?