The civil aviation ministry directed airlines to ‘Maintain fare stability’ after the ceiling collapse at Terminal 1 of Delhi’s IGI airport halted operations.

New Delhi: Parked vehicles damaged by the collapse of a canopy at the Terminal 1 of IGI Airport (PTI Photo)

New Delhi: The civil aviation ministry on Friday directed airlines to avoid jacking up airfares in the aftermath of the tragedy at Terminal 1 of Delhi’s IGI Airport in which the ceiling crashed on cars leading to injuries and loss of life. “Arlines to maintain fare stability to avoid passenger inconvenience,” said the civil aviation ministry in a note after a review meeting was held led by civil aviation minister Rammohan Naidu.

War room established

The civil aviation ministry has also established a war room to monitor the situation which includes ensuring full refund processing for cancelled flights. The war room will also oversee that airlines issue tickets for alternative travel routes to passengers delayed by the ceiling collapse. The war room has set a 7-day deadline for processing refunds. It will assist passengers with contact details and mobile numbers for the timely disposal of grievances.

The war room will also ensure that Terminals 2 and 3 of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport are able to handle the additional passenger load after the ceiling collapse at Terminal 1.

AAI to carry nationwide audits

The Airports Authority of India has been directed to carry out a structural audit of all structures in major and minor airports across India within the next 2-5 days. The meeting which was also attended by higher officials in the civil aviation ministry and concerned departments and bodies, also asked IIT Delhi structural engineers to assess the incident at Delhi’s IGI Airport Terminal 1. The team will also examine an incident at Jabalpur airport. Civil Aviation minister Naidu said passenger safety and convenience were his top priority.

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