“A 24/7 War Room will be established to ensure the full refund of cancelled flights or provide alternative travel route tickets”

Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Shri Rammohan Naidu, convened a high-level review meeting today with key officials including the Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Director General of Civil Aviation, Chairman of the Airports Authority of India, Director General of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, and Joint Secretaries of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. In the meeting, the some key decisions were made to address the ongoing situation and ensure the safety and convenience of passengers:

1. 24/7 War Room Establishment & efficient management of T2 & T3-  A 24/7 War Room will be established under the close monitoring of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. This War Room will ensure the full refund of cancelled flights or provide alternative travel route tickets as per availability. All refunds will be processed within a stipulated time of 7 days. Contact details including phone numbers will be provided to passengers for immediate assistance.
   • War Room helpline numbers:
     • Indigo airline
       1. T2 Terminal: 7428748308
       2. T3 Terminal: 7428748310
     • Spicejet
       1. T3 Terminal: 0124-4983410/0124-7101600
       2. 9711209864 (Mr Rohit)

Emphasis was placed on making passenger comfort a top priority and implementing measures to handle the additional stress on T2 and T3 terminals due to the temporary closure of T1.

2. Airfare Advisory: An advisory has been released to all airlines to ensure that this situation does not lead to a steep increase in airfare. Airlines to maintain fare stability to avoid passenger inconvenience.

3. Structural Strength Inspection: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been directed to issue a circular to all minor and major airports to conduct a thorough inspection of structural strength. These inspections must be completed within the next 2-5 days, and the reports are to be submitted to the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Based on the findings the need for increased safety measures and the development of long-term policies to prevent the recurrence of such unfortunate incidents will be formulated at priority

4. Initial Investigation Team Deployment: Structural Engineers from IIT Delhi have been asked to immediately assess the incident at Delhi T1. Further examination will be decided based on their initial findings. Similarly AAI will have the Jabalpur incident examined.

Union Minister Shri Rammohan Naidu emphasized that passenger safety and convenience are of utmost priority. The Ministry, along with all related agencies, is working tirelessly to ensure a swift resolution to the current challenges and to enhance the overall safety standards of our airports.

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YB/SK