24/7 War Room Ensuring Refunds and Safety Amid Airport Incidents

In response to recent structural failures at several airports, including the collapse of the roof at Terminal 1 of Delhi Airport, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has announced the establishment of a 24/7 War Room. This initiative aims to facilitate the full refund of cancelled flights and provide alternative travel route tickets where available.

Union Minister for Civil Aviation convened a high-level review meeting to address the situation and ensure passenger safety and convenience. Attendees included the Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Director General of Civil Aviation, the Chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Director General of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, and Joint Secretaries of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.The newly established War Room, under the close monitoring of the MoCA, will ensure that all refunds for cancelled flights are processed within seven days. Contact details, including phone numbers, will be made available to passengers for immediate assistance. This measure comes after the incident last week when the canopy of Delhi Airport’s Terminal 1 collapsed due to heavy rains, leading to the cancellation of nearly 100 flights operated by IndiGo and SpiceJet.

To mitigate the impact of this disruption, the Union Minister emphasised the need to prioritise passenger comfort and manage the increased load on Terminals 2 and 3, following the temporary closure of Terminal 1. An advisory has been issued to all airlines to prevent any steep increases in airfare, ensuring fare stability and avoiding additional inconvenience to passengers.The AAI has been directed to issue a circular mandating thorough inspections of structural strength at all major and minor airports. These inspections are to be completed within five days, with reports submitted to the MoCA. The findings will inform the development of enhanced safety measures and long-term policies to prevent such incidents in the future. Additionally, structural engineers from IIT Delhi have been tasked with assessing the Delhi Terminal 1 incident, with further examinations to be based on their initial findings. A similar assessment will be conducted for the Jabalpur incident.The Union Minister stressed the importance of passenger safety and convenience, stating that the Ministry and related agencies are working tirelessly to resolve the current challenges and improve airport safety standards.