DGCA serves notice to Go First for leaving behind 55 passengers at Bengaluru airport

New Delhi, January 10: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a show cause notice to Go First Airlines' Chief Operation Officer asking why enforcement action should not be taken against them for failing to meet their regulatory obligations.

On Monday, Go First flight G8-116 from Bengaluru to Delhi took off, leaving 55 passengers behind at the airport. The matter has now been brought to the attention of the DGCA. The airline has been given two weeks to respond to the DGCA, after which further action will be taken.

The aviation regulatory body stated in a statement that the incident report was requested from Go First on Monday.

"After perusal of the reply submitted by Go First through email dated Tuesday, prima facie it emerges that Go First failed to comply with the provision specified at para 9 and 13 of CAR Section 3, Series C, Part II issued by DGCA resulted in violation of Para (1A) of Rule 134 read with Schedule XI of the Aircraft Rules, 1937 and Go First has failed to comply with the provision specified in para 5.2 of ATC 02 of 2019," the statement read.

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"As per the above-referred regulations, the concerned airline is responsible to ensure adequate arrangement for ground handling, preparation of load and trim sheet, flight dispatch and passenger/cargo handling and also ensure that all the ground handling staff engaged in passenger handling undergo periodic soft skill training for sensitization, courtesy, behaviour and procedures for assisting the passengers."

Taking to Twitter, many air passengers on Monday complained against Go First after Flight G8-116 took off for Delhi from Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport around 6.30 am, while about 55 passengers were kept waiting in one of the buses as the flight took off.

The passengers were transported to the aircraft in four buses.

Passengers who had left the Bangalore airport were reportedly accommodated on another flight that took off four hours later, around 10 a.m.