Passengers worried about safety, travel Duration once guideline comes into effect.
Flight operators are not the only ones running scared of the diversion rule set by the directorate general of civil aviation from September 8, under which, flights arriving late at the Mumbai airport during peak hours might be diverted to the nearest airport.
Passengers are equally wary of the rule, and are increasingly cautious while booking tickets for the evening slot.
Jogeshwari businessman Bharat Hiran, 38, a frequent traveller on the Mumbai-Hyderabad route, for instance, is thinking twice before booking his tickets. “I have heard that from September 8, delayed flights in the evening will be diverted to nearby airports. There’s no point in my reaching the airport early and the flight getting diverted to Pune or Ahmedabad because of delays,” he says, adding, “It’s better to avoid flying back to Mumbai in the evening. I will just take a train from places like Pune, Ahmedabad or Hyderabad.”
Finance executive Ruchi Mehta, 26, who shuttles between Delhi and Mumbai every month, is equally worried about the flight diversion. “As a woman, I am worried about my safety, in case the flight gets diverted to Pune or Nagpur late in the evening. What will I do then? And if I reach Mumbai in the middle of the night, I won’t be comfortable taking a cab home so late,” she says.
The aviation ministry has since announced its decision to implement the rule from September 8. Although the Mumbai air traffic control (ATC) is working on the details, a source said that minor delays of 5-10 minutes will be tolerated. “In case the delays are beyond 15-20 minutes, the flight will be diverted,” said an ATC official.
According to some travel agents, the new rule has created a buzz among passengers, though there have been no cancellation of bookings. “People are enquiring about evening flights to Mumbai after September 8. They want to know what the rule is like and are postponing their bookings,” said Nandita Bedi, owner, Vibrant tours and travel, Churchgate.
Another travel agent, on conditions of anonymity, said the implementation of such a rule without thinking about passengers was thoughtless. “They haven’t thought about the passengers’ convenience,” he said.
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