New Delhi: A KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Amsterdam-Delhi flight, which was not allowed to land at IGI airport in the national capital by Indian Civil Aviation authorities amid scare over COVID-19, violated the rules and took off from Europe without “taking note of the instructions”, ThePrint has learnt.
A source in the Ministry of Civil Aviation said the plane “took off without permission, ignoring the instruction by Indian authorities, hoping that India will relent”.
The authorities, however, have now permitted the plane to land at IGI airport Sunday in “public interest”.
“The larger public interest should guide public policy and we adhered to that,” the source said.
The special permission has been granted for Indian passengers only, another source in the ministry said.
According to an advisory issued by the government of India on 16 March, travel of passengers from member countries of the European Union, the European Free Trade Association, Turkey and the United Kingdom to India was prohibited from 18 March onwards.
The circular by the Director General of Civil Aviation stated that “no airline shall board a passenger from these nations to India with effect from 1200 GMT on 18th March 2020. The airline shall enforce this at the port of initial departure”.
The airlines, the first source said, had “violated the rules”.
The passengers on board, 90 of whom were Indian nationals, had to spend harrowing 15 hours in the air, following which many of them started tweeting about the situation.
The husband and sister-in-law of a pregnant woman from Mumbai tweeted a number of appeals to the government as the flight spent more than 15 harrowing hours in the air.
“My wife is six months pregnant and requires special assistance,” wrote her husband, Tejas Deepak Vispute.
Also read: IndiGo, Vistara expect to ground planes as coronavirus hits travel
Why was the fight turned away?
The flight was not allowed to land as according to the circular issued on 16 March, all scheduled Indian and foreign airlines engaged in international air transportation to and from India are to follow the advisory and not to carry any passengers.
The circular also stated that a compulsory quarantine for a minimum period of 14 days for passengers coming from or transiting through UAE, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait is to be ensured.
“This will come into effect from 1200 GMT on 18th March 2020 at the port of first departure,” the circular said.
According to a source in the DGCA, the said KLM flight did not have an approved flight plan.
“We just implemented the rules that were issued and hence the flight was sent back. It is a clear violation,” the source quoted above said.
Asked whether any action will be taken against the airlines, he said, “This is probably not the time.”
Also read: Air India to send 787 Dreamliner to brings back Indians stranded in Rome
Under what circumstances the airline was allowed to land and take off without permission. To get truth, suspend the concern official who was on duty, and investigate.
The flight should not be allowed to land as its risky as per present situation. Though pregnancy women is there never mind as life of million of people in India is more important than those in flight
The flight duration was over eight hours. If there was no notification or authorised landing in India why was it not declared as intruder and shot down. What was the importance of all those on board who are bringing a desease that is spreading like wild fire all around the Workd. I hope they are all isolated and quarantined and allowed no outside contact. Not even the guards or cooks. Throw them a few loafs of breadand let them fend for themselves.
Now more airlines will come thinking that rules are very flexible in India. Not correct. Refuelling and providing food and then sending back the aircraft should have been done. This is going to risk all the Lives in India because most of the people coming from abroad are not following precautionary rules and are behaving very irresponsibily .
Rule is Rule, but the air craft was allowed to land due to Humanity…. But let’s maintain Rules if the Indian Nationals want to come Home they could have taken permission Before they Book the tickets….
All the people should be kept under Observation strictly.
Let’s not violate or Bypass the system.
Make the system Strong.
Severe Negligence on the part of KLM Authorities. DGCA Authorities have also rolled back their own advisory. Such blunders could have leed to severe embarrassing situation. Any how all that end well is good..
The.plane should have allowed to touch the indian soil. It’s a violator of law.
At least you should have tried to know the facts. By the way, if you know violation if law, you would have mentioned that Law. King must follow his rules first. You wasted time.
MODI LOVES EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN THATS WHY HE IS NIT ABLE TO TAKE BOLD DECISIONS AGAINST THEM
What stupid statement have you given buddy
Please stop criticing . The plane has been allowed to land. As a special
Case. Our indian nationals were allowed to disembark
Does our prime minister laid down the civil aviation rules and regulations ,whom to allow in.
Dear Tanveer it seems u have zero knowledge about these rules. KLM is Dutch carrier . Remember this
Kindly refrain from issuing political statement.primarily u r human being this is a subtle message for people like u
Had it been done by any Indian airlines, whether these white people allow to land our flight? Off yes, with heavy penalty and suspension of airlines for some period.
Give the same treatment to K LM now, no bargain and no compromise.
True. The Dutch would never have allowed an Indian carrier to land in their country, come what may. These countries have ruled the world in the past with their strict ness. Hence, be strict with others is in their psyche. While Indians are subservient all along hence, they compromised.
I agree refuling and provide food on human grounds and sen back would be best
True. If rules are not maintained strictly more airlines will come like this. Lives of all the Indians are at risk.
If you don’t believe your doctor u will not survive. Please support your friends and country.
flight was in air for 8hrs
GOI has taken the right action. These Whites considered India to be a Banana Republic, but they should realise that tables have turned. Why the airlines not followed the protocol of obtaining the Necessary permission from GOI authorities fully knowing the extra ordinary conditions prevailing through out the world. This Doctor criticizing the Govt Action, is not blessed with enough wisdom to realise that India is the only country evacuating it’s citizens from every effected place, was it done on the bases of the stranded person’s caste or religion or just one factor that it has to be Indian National.
However, if he has Shaheen Bagh in mind then pl note the Protestors there deserves much tougher treatment to vacate that Road.
The mentioning of shaheen bagh in this conversation shows your mentality. That how much dirty your mind is.
It is rubbish to mention shaheenbagh in this matter
Sometime exceptions are made. Shaheen bag was tolerated as women were pushed to front by coward clergies.
Please send your mother, wife, sisters, daughters to shaheen Bagh
With this dual character of govt . Are we able to fight covid.
Modi is always paralysed against European Union. Modi can Lathi Charge Against Innocents People of india.
If that would have been the case Yr back would have been black and blue. If Yr reference is related to shaheen baug, Yr friends deserve worst than latthis. Dr, degree has made no change to the person, pity you boy.
An aircraft taking off to fly without clearance is a big offence. Under current conditions prevailing all over the world, if it was not allowed to land here, you blame the PM Modi. Shame on you.
What an idiot ur baby… Take chill pill
U r definitely not a medical doc…
This is a nonsense remrak.
You are showing your inner self and it is not reflection of the government but the crap within
Man, lunatic to the core.. pls don’t say tomorrow that I am not getting out stools properly because Modi is the reason.. bulshit of hatred people …. Very very very bad in taste you …
Comprehending your name it is not surprising that you invented opportunity to criticise PM of the Country.
People of a particular Community has indeed taken Democracy of this Country as granted and whoever comes in between their vested religious interests, he is painted as Villain.
It’s high time you people be an Indian first and then a religious fanatic.
Dont u think ur unnecessarily mixing issues for no reason…
They have to take action against this airlines http://www.pawnacamp.com
Despite goi instructions to ban all flights from abroad how come this flight came to India it must be probe thoroughly may be some conspiracy by anti India forces
Very irresponsible, for the airlines to take off to a country not allowing entry of flights.. the govt should not have allowed the passengers to deboard . Now many more airlines would think indian govt would be flexible and send more flights.
Best thing to do was to let the flight land , refuel and fly back to where it came from after filling up essential commodities..
These stupid people will not self quarantine even after being stamped , creating panic and also spreading infection of someone is infected.. I request the Government to impose stricter lockdown and rules as we can see , the lockdown is mistaken as holidays by most of my fellow Indians .
Can’t be true that a flight takes off without intimating the destination. Must be some influential people on board who were asked to board this special flight.
Exactly because of that the rule also curved which was made for overall interest of the nation. A special pro e need be done and how a flight took off without permission?
Grow up. Don’t you get tired thinking of conspiracy theories all the time???
Dear Friends
Spread of COVID 19 or communicable virus may be stopped with the help of onion. It is required to cut a onion in two parts and put into the corners of a room in which an infected person is kept. Evey morning and evening replacement is required. The used onion must destroy with chemicals. Only required to do it for three Days.
Patel sir , why spreading fake stuff ? Entire world is trying to fight with no much success ? Seems like you are no prof .
Get your head checked, AND clearly you are not educated, so STOP using Prof as prefix.
God will remove Corona from our country
Why are we having lock downs then. They should not have been allowed to land. My statement would not have changed even if my own siblings were there in that flight. This is an injustice to the people who have been inside their houses during the janata curfew. If even 1% of these people are carrying viruses and are allowed to return to their homes , the entire janata curfew may go for a toss. Italy suffered and continued to suffer because of such mistakes only. It’s high time we go strict now.
Good to allow than sending another aircraft to bring them
Despite clear DGCA advance advisory, how such flight came n tried to Land. Very strange as if they took flight without checking all types of clearances in Indian territory, had there been any other situation as now lock down no public transport easily available. Passengers arrived should be thoroughly examined n no relaxation given in any case… Many persons avoiding as seen locally after arriving at destinations.
This is very clear now that how foreighn country looks at Indian Laws..
Why there is special case for this aircraft and there passengers to land in India in this critical situation.
How is this “larger public interest” ?
These idiots cannot follow a simple instruction not to travel and isolate themselves during this crucial time.
If these time bombs reach India, they will infect thousands more by not following instructions of isolation and throwing similar tantrums after reaching Delhi Airport and thereafter.
Trust me, there is going to be blood of thousands on the hands of these hundred odd people.
Absolutely! They rules and instructions should be followed at any cost or else people will die. These buggers what the hell they were doing in Amsterdam!
Good step
We should follow the rules implemented. So tomorrow if there is another flight from some other location and there will be public interest too , will they allow them ?.
Should be fair enough to all . Should focus on safety first …
Why did the airlines flouted law?
Now this people are thinking of India. Do they have permission of going to Amsterdam. They shouldn’t be allowed inside india even in future’.
Not good,to comment this way, it’s a crucial time.
.if you see there are millions of people all over the world from India.
There are sick and pregnant women in the flight.
It’s a time to pray for India and the whole world.
We are bringing all indians across the world by keeping country in risk, but they coming and travelling across country to spread corona, I think we are bringing people who dont deserve that..
I agree with your views. We bringing in live bombs.