The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Saturday issued an advisory to airlines, urging them to ensure proper communication and in-flight catering for passengers, as international flights are experiencing longer durations due to the closure of Pakistan’s airspace. With Pakistan shutting its airspace to Indian carriers, flight times — particularly for services departing from northern cities like Delhi — have increased.
Responding to it, the DGCA has advised airlines to take specific passenger care measures to address the challenges posed by the extended flight durations and additional technical halts.
DGCA has issued an advisory, airlines should inform passengers about change in routing due to airspace restrictions, about revised total expected travel time and other things.
According to the release the advisory focuses on five key areas which are as follows:
1. Pre-Flight Passenger Communication
Airlines shall ensure that all passengers are proactively informed about:
- The change in routing due to airspace restrictions.
- Revised total expected travel time (departure to arrival).
- The possibility of a technical stop at an intermediate airport.
- Clarify that the stop is operational in nature.
- Passengers will generally remain onboard during such stops
2. In-Flight Catering and Comfort
Airlines must ensure that catering uplift is revised based on actual expected block time (including technical halt). This includes:
- Adequate meals and beverages for the full duration.
- Additional hydration and dry snacks.
- Special meals as per manifest requests
3. Medical Preparedness And Altemate Aerodromes
Ensure medical kits and first-aid resources onboard are sufficient for extended operations. Validate that alternate/technical halt airports have:
- Emergency medical support.
- Ground ambulance availability if required
4. Customer Service And Support Readiness
Airlines shall: Brief call center/reservations teams on likely delays and schedule disruptions. Establish processes for managing missed onward connections and delay-related assistance.
Prepare for compensatory action in case of delays beyond thresholds (as per CAR provisions).
5. Intra-Departmental Coordination
Operators must ensure seamless coordination between:
- Flight Dispatch / IOCC.
- Commercial and Customer Support teams.
- Ground handling and airport operations.
- Inflight service providers.
- Medical vendors at designated alternates
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