Regular complaints by passengers against rude behaviour of ground staff of various airlines have forced the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to ask airlines to ensure polite and courteous behaviour towards travellers.
The regulator has sought monthly reports failing which action will be taken against the airline.
“Airlines and airport operators must ensure that all their ground staff engaged in passenger handling render all assistance to facilitate their travel. The staff should undergo periodic soft skills training,” said a DGCA circular.
“They are service providers and all passengers are important. Any incident of misdemeanour shall be dealt by the airline on top priority basis and must be reported to DGCA in a prescribed format. This step was taken after it has been found that airlines are not informing DGCA about complaints from passengers,” said a DGCA official.
According to a report, in 2012, the Delhi airport had topped the list of complaints received on issues like poor service, bad food, lost luggage.
As many as 587 complaints were registered at the Delhi airport while Hyderabad stood second with 236 complaints.
{{/usCountry}}As many as 587 complaints were registered at the Delhi airport while Hyderabad stood second with 236 complaints.
{{/usCountry}}In 2009 and 2010, 2,503 and 2,220 complaints were received by the ministry of civil aviation. To monitor the new system, DGAC has formed a surveillance team that will visit airports on random to check whether agencies are following guidelines.
The aviation regulator has also asked the airlines to display the details of their nodal officer and appellate authority at key areas of the airport indicating their contact details. DGCA has given one month to airlines to resolve any complaint.