The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) initiated an investigation on an unusual operation of a GoAir cargo-only flight that carried passengers from Chennai to Port Blair without having clearance to land at the destination point.
The Indian regulator is probing the GoAir flight which was allegedly supposed to be cargo-only operation, but the low-cost airline allegedly carried 160 passengers onboard the aircraft. Following the flight schedule, the airline had to operate the regular domestic flight from Chennai International Airport (MAA) to Port Blair Airport (IXZ) and make the returning flight back to MMA airport on the same day.
However, according to FlightRadar24.com data, the suspicious flight G8-1305 took off from MAA airport on December 15, 2020. As it looked like the regular domestic operation no questions would have arisen, but GoAir did not reach its final destination and the flight crew was forced to return to the airport of departure after realizing they did not have the clearance to land at IXZ airport, reported local media.
The GoAir aircraft en route from Chennai to Port Blair did “an air turn/diversion due to operational reasons and landed at Chennai with 160 passengers on board“, noted the spokesman of GoAir speaking to local media. However, the airline did not specify the exact reasons for such an unexpected diversion.
The suspicions regarding the legality of the GoAir flight were deepened after sources told local media that the flight crew filled the flight logbook naming “as per Port Blair ATC no landing clearance“ as the reason why the aircraft diverted back to Chennai. Meanwhile, the next day, one of the passengers expressed his frustration on social media blaming the airline for boarding people on a cargo flight.
“GoAir what you did to us is pathetic while going from Chennai to Port Blair. Nd told They board [passenger] flight told […] that it’s cargo flight. We [are] all stuck at Chennai airport”, read on social media.
@goairlinesindia WHAT you did to us yesterday IS PATHETIC while going from Chennai to Port Blair.
— Viral Patel (@patelv847) December 16, 2020
You fool us you cheaters @MoCA_GoI @jagograhakjago
my PNR from GoAir is I9D4UW
They board consumer flight and told a&n auth. that it’s CARGO FLIGHT.WE ALL STUCK AT CHENNAI AIRPORT
The DGCA investigates if the GoAir G8-1305 flight was meant to serve as a passenger or a cargo-only flight.