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Air Deccan is bending safety norms
Published on Wed, Mar 21, 2007 at 20:16, Updated on Sun, Jun 17, 2007 at 13:43 in India section
Tags: Air Deccan, DGCA , Mumbai
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Mumbai: On January 29 this year, Air Deccan failed to report the exact number of passengers on board its flight DN 763 from Bangalore to Mumbai.
"They reported 161 passengers, but then the number of passengers who checked in were 170," a Bangalore Air Traffic Controller (ATC) source told CNN-IBN.
So, how does an aircraft takes off from Bangalore with a 161 passengers but lands here in Mumbai with 180?
CNN-IBN: You counted a 180 passengers?
AAI officer: Yes and even this list showed 180 passengers.
Air Deccan clearly under-reported the number of passengers to the Bangalore ATC, to cover up the fact that it had over-booked.
Says an off-loaded passenger, Louie Mathew, "Even though the capacity is 180, they over book to about 200 people. They reported 161 to the ATC in Bangalore to basically account for the fact that 15 to 20 people were stranded at the counters."
To cover up one lie, Air Deccan committed an even greater sin.
An Airports Authority of India Official was caught on hidden camera saying, "In case of an accident, we have to count the number of people, and I had told them this was against the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA) law."
The passenger list or the Manifest, now in the possession of CNN-IBN for Januray 29 is full of irregularities. The document clearly shows that the total number of passengers on paper is 170 while the actual passengers on board was 180.
What's more, on the list, passenger number 14 and passenger number 15 are the same person. Instead of the fictitious passenger number 15, there was another person sitting on the plane.
What is even more surprising is that the names of the people who were declared "no shows" are not on the list at all.
By doing so, the Airline defrauded the over-booked passengers of a seat and a refund and by under-reporting, it broke international safety norms and also cheated the Government of the Passenger Service Fee.
The only thing common with the entire set of complaints is that all of these irregularities are happening out of Bangalore, which is also Air Deccan's headquarters.
"We feel that some of the Airports Authority officials are hand in glove with Air Deccan," an Airports Authority of India official was caught saying on hidden camera.
Meanwhile, the MD of Air Deccan, Captain G R Gopinath defended himself saying, "This is all baloney. I don't bribe people. I am known for not bribing!"
But what is certain is that the airline has found ways to bend the rules and is clearly interested not just in cutting costs but cutting corners as well.
(With inputs from Priyanjana Dutta in Bangalore)
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Sir,
On 1/3/07, I tried to do internet booking for 3 passangers from Delhi to Trivandrum (flight dtd 9/5/07). After entering
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"Low Cost Airlines" doesnt mean that the airlines can be irresponsible. It doesnt let the airlines, delay flights or cancel
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Screw the big companies if they cannot stand up to public scrutiny!
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well mr shantaram. if u expect business class service for as low a fare as deccan offers you then u
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Air deccan seems to be making news for all the wrong reasons. Very recently, they had reported a turn around
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