Passengers on no-fly list can appeal against action: Centre

New Delhi: The interests of passengers will be protected before the civil aviation regulations regarding the no-fly list is finalised, civil aviation ministry sources said on Wednesday.

The ministry will put in place an appellate authority that will hear the pleas of passengers accused of being unruly. Ministry sources also made it clear that the Aadhaar card will not be made mandatory for passengers in future for entry to airports in view of a ruling of the Supreme Court.

Sources said that in case passengers accused of being unruly allege that they have been unfairly termed so and contest action against them, they can petition an appellate authority that will hear their version and then decide the issue. “The rights of passengers will be protected,” sources said.

The draft civil aviation regulation will be made public in about two weeks and then an exercise will start to receive feedback from stakeholders. The final draft will also be sent to the law ministry for clearance before the civil aviation regulation is issued, sources said. The regulations are also expected to contain the specific time-periods during which an unruly passenger can be banned from flying in the future.

Civil aviation ministry sources also said that in future, despite the government’s move towards paper-less travel, the Aadhaar card will not be made mandatory for passengers for entry to airports in view of a Supreme Court verdict in this regard. Sources also referred to the e-initiatives at the Bengaluru airport for paper-less travel and said such a move could be adopted at other major airports too soon.