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.
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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.
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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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