New Delhi (Agency): On Thursday, the government’s civil aviation department shared that 37 passengers have been added to the ‘No Fly List’ this year, up to July 15th. These passengers were mainly banned for not wearing masks or failing to follow the instructions of flight crew members.
There has been a noticeable increase in incidents involving troublesome air passengers recently. In a written statement, VK Singh, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, informed the Lok Sabha that in 2022, 63 passengers were put on the ‘No Fly List’ for varying time periods. This was based on the recommendations of an airline’s internal committee.
“In 2023, 37 passengers have been placed in the ‘No Fly List’ up to 15.07.2023. Most of these passengers failed to wear masks or obey the instructions of the crew members,” VK Singh explained.
In response to a question about expanding the powers of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to deal with such incidents, the Minister responded negatively. He further noted that no state or UT specific classification of incidents is maintained by the DGCA, as most incidents occur mid-air during flights.