After a burning odour was reported in the aircraft, an Air India Express flight from Calicut to Dubai was diverted to Muscat, Oman.
On Monday, V K Singh, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, responded to a question in Rajya Sabha by saying that around 1,000 complaints have been received against Air India during the last three months. The complaints include refunds of fares, overbooking of flights, and staff behavior.
“Ministry of Civil Aviation has been receiving grievances related to air transport, including Air India, on the various issues such as refund of fares, flight issues, staff behaviour, baggage issues, overbooking of flights, etc.,” Singh said.
Around 1,000 such complaints were received against Air India during the last three months, he mentioned.
Aviation regulator DGCA on June 14 said it imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Air India for denying boarding to passengers holding valid tickets and thereafter not providing mandatory compensation to them.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had in May said that the airlines are indulging in “unfair practice” of denying boarding to passengers even when they report for their flights at the airport on time.
The regulator — in an e-mail on May 2 — had asked all Indian carriers to give compensation and facilities to passengers affected by such denial of boarding, failing which it would impose financial penalties on them.
News agency ANI reported citing officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation that an Air India Express flight from Calicut was diverted to Muscat, Oman after a burning odour was reported inside the aircraft.
Prior to that, three Air India aircraft made emergency landings in Calicut, Chennai, and Kolkata.
Tata Sons-owned Air India is contemplating an order for nearly 300 aircraft as the carrier looks to expand after COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.