TV news report lands Air Deccan in trouble

New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has begun a probe into reports that low-cost carrier Air Deccan was over-booking its flights. Under DGCA rules all airlines have to report to it the actual number of passengers they carry on each flight.

TV news channel CNN-IBN had reported from Bangalore that passengers, reporting even an hour before the flight was to leave, were off-loaded by Air Deccan staff at the airport with the excuse that they were late. The passengers were also denied refunds on the ticket with only the taxable amount being paid back.

The airline, meanwhile, denied reports that it was over-booking many of its flights, with its managing director Capt GR Gopinath being quoted as saying that such an event could have occurred due to a computer glitch.

The news channel quoted Air Deccan's COO Warwick Brady as saying that the carrier had "never ever in its history over-booked any passenger. There is no reason why any staff (will) delay check-in". Brady also said Air Deccan's reservation system also served Air India Express and "we are completely open to the press or any auditor".