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No ban on taking photos on-board, clarifies DGCA
New Delhi: Passengers on board commercial panes will be allowed to take photographs in flight, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) clarified on Sunday,
New Delhi: Passengers on board commercial panes will be allowed to take photographs in flight, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) clarified on Sunday, adding that a ban by the regulator only applied to recording equipment and behaviour which compromises air safety, creates chaos and violates norms.
“It is clarified that a bonafide passenger travelling in an aircraft engaged in scheduled air transport services may do still and video photography from inside such an aircraft when in flight; takeoff and landing... however, this permission does not include use of recording equipment which imperils or compromises air safety; violates prevalent norms; creates chaos or disruption during operation of flight or expressly prohibited by crew,” the DGCA said in a statement.
The clarification came a day after the aviation regulator issued an order for commercial flights, stating that an airline’s service on a particular route can be suspended for two weeks if it fails to act against crew or passengers who violate in-flight norms such as a ban on mid-air photography. The suspension would stay in place until the airline takes action for violation of norms.
“In case of any violation of Rule 13 of Aircraft Rules 1937 on any passenger aircraft, the schedule of flight for that particular route shall be suspended for two weeks from the next day,” the DGCA statement read. The rule cited by DGCA, deals with conditions of photography and videography on board commercial passenger flights.
The aviation regulator added on Saturday that despite these regulations, airlines had often failed to follow the rules primarily due to lack of diligence on their part. “Needless to say that such deviations result in compromise in maintaining the highest standard of safety and therefore is not to be allowed,” it said.
The order came in the aftermath of an incident involving media personnel filming on board an IndiGo flight in which actor Kangana Ranaut was travelling from Chandigarh to Mumbai on Wednesday. A video of media personnel recording inside the flight and creating a ruckus went viral on social media.
The DGCA had on Friday asked IndiGo to take “appropriate action” after the regulator found alleged violation of safety and social distancing protocols by the media on the airline’s Chandigarh-Mumbai flight.
“We have seen some videos wherein mediapersons are standing too close to each other on board the 6E264 flight on Wednesday. It seems to be a violation of safety and social distancing protocols,” a DGCA official said.
The aviation regulator cited multiple issues with the incident, prominent among which was photography on board a flight in violation of Aircraft rule 13, visible violation of Covid-19 protocols and alleged unruly behaviour by a few passengers.
The aviation regulator is also planning to take action against the media personnel on board the IndiGo flight for violating in-flight norms following a probe on the incident, officials aware of the development said.
“Action may be initiated against those persons found in violation of the guidelines,” the DGCA said.
