De-board passengers who refuse to wear face mask in plane: DGCA to airlines

Airlines must deboard any passenger before departure if they refuse to wear face mask inside an aircraft even after being warned aviation regulator DGCA said on WednesdayBesides airport operators must take help of the local police and security agencies and levy fines on people not wearing face masks the Directorate General of Civil Aviation DGCA said in a circularThe circular followed a Delhi High Court order of June 3 which said the DGCA should issue separate binding directions to all staff persons deployed at the airports and in the aircraft including flight attendants air hostesses captainspilots and others to take strict action against passengers and others who violate the masking and hygiene normsAll such persons as are found violating the norms must be fined and persistent defaulters must be placed on the no fly list the court had saidThe DGCAs Wednesday circular said airlines must ensure the passengers wear masks properly on flights and they are removed from faces only under exceptional circumstances and for permitted reasonsAlso Read DGCA imposes Rs 5 lakh fine on IndiGo for denying boarding to speciallyabled childIf a passenger needs an extra face mask the airline must provide it it notedThe airline shall ensure that in case any passenger does not adhere to above instructions even after repeated warnings he or she should be deboarded if need be before departure it saidIn case any passenger refuses to wear mask or violates the covid19 protocol even after repeated warnings in flight midair he must be treated as unruly passenger as defined in the DGCA regulations the circular saidThe DGCA regulations give powers to airlines to ban passengers for a certain period of time after they have been declared unrulyCentral Industrial Security Force CISF and other police personnel deployed at the entrance of the airport must ensure that no one is allowed to enter the premises without wearing a mask it saidAll airport operators must increase announcements and surveillance to ensure that passengers at terminal are wearing face masks properly and following covidappropriate behaviour at all times within the airport premises it notedIn case any passenger does not wear mask or refuses to wear mask and follow covid19 protocol he should be fined as per the respective state law where the airport is located and he may even be handed over to security agencies it saidAirport operators must take sanitisation measures at airports and provide hand sanitisers or dispensers at prominent places in the terminal it notedAlso airport operators shall levy fines on those violating covid19 protocols in accordance with state regulations with the help of local police and security agencies for violation of covid19 protocols it added