The Delhi high court on Friday ordered strict action, including de-boarding of passengers violating Covid norms such as the mandatory wearing of masks and maintaining hygiene at airports as well as on aircraft as the pandemic has not abated.
A bench of acting chief justice Vipin Sanghi and justice Sachin Datta said the violators should be physically removed if needed, fined, booked, and placed on the no-fly list for deterrence and to ensure compliance.
“It is essential for respondents to ensure norms are affected properly. [Regulator] DGCA [Directorate General of Civil Aviation] should give separate binding directions to all airlines to authorise staff at airports and on aircraft to take strict action against passengers and others who violate masking and hygiene norms, “ the bench said.The direction came as India reported the biggest single-day spike (4,283) in Covid-19 cases in at least 80 days on Wednesday, according to HT’s dashboard.
