The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has amended its rules on carrying disabled persons and explicitly stated that disability should not be a ground for an airline to deny boarding to a passenger.
The revised norms follow outrage over IndiGo refusing a teen with special needs permission to board a flight from Ranchi to Hyderabad in May. The airline said the child was in a state of “panic” and a threat to flight safety, but the DGCA found IndiGo “deficient” in its handling of the passenger and imposed a penalty of ₹5 lakh after an inquiry.
“Airline shall not refuse carriage of any person on the basis of disability and/ or reduced mobility,” states the DGCA’s Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) on Carriage by Air - Persons with Disability. It adds that if it is perceived that such a passenger’s health could deteriorate during a flight, the airline will have to obtain a doctor’s opinion categorically stating the medical condition and whether the passenger is fit to fly or not. Following this, the airline may decide to refuse boarding to a passenger but only after providing a written explanation.
