In a striking event, Air India Express was banned from flying to Dubai for 24 hours. The airline, on 18th September, received a 15-day long ban for knowingly carrying a COVID-19 positive patient onboard. However, the ban was later revoked, making it a one day ban only. Let's see what exactly happened.
Flying a Positive Passenger
In a notice given by the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), it said that Air India Express reportedly carried two Covid-19 positive passengers on two instances, posing a risk for the safety of all onboard the flights. Therefore, the DCAA decided to impose a 15-day travel ban on the carrier.
The first flight with a positive passenger was on 28th August, while the second one was on 4th September. The notice also describes the second passenger's flight as IX 1135 from Jaipur to Dubai. The passenger had a Covid positive certificate two days prior to the flight, yet he was allowed onboard the flight by AI express.
Air India Express failed to report these passengers and this failure led to the travel ban imposed by DCAA. Last month, AI express was banned from flying to Hong Kong after it reportedly carried 11 COVID-19 positive passengers despite of pre-flight testing. The ban lasted for two weeks.
Ban Removed
The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority revoked the ban hours after imposing it. This move came after Air India Express held talks with the DCAA and changes their policies. The flights to Dubai will continue from 19th September, making the ban last 24 hours.
In a latest update, Air India Express said it will take a strict action against the ground handling agents in Jaipur and Delhi. They are working with the authorities to make the process more stringent but hassle-free. According to reports, they plan to make a three-tier checking mechanism to ensure safety of all its passengers. Dubai is one of the important destinations for Indian carriers and is also the center for Vande Bharat repatriation flights.
Safety Concerns
Air India Express has been an attraction for safety issues for quite some time, as last month, one of its Boeing 737 aircraft conducting a repatriation flight from Dubai crashed while landing in Kozhikode airport in severe weather conditions.
The crash resulted in more than 15 fatalities, including both of the flight crew. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has banned widebody aircrafts from operating at the tabletop runway of Kozhikode airport. The investigation of the crash in still underway by the authorities.
The crash resulted in DGCA conducting safety audits of all airlines in order to gauge the compliance of safety measures adopted by all the Indian carries.
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