Scandinavian Airlines has suspended flights to India until June 16 due to an unusual incident on a flight from Copenhagen to Mumbai. The plane had already taken off on its scheduled service, but it had to return because officials were concerned it lacked the required operating approval from India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
Flight SK969, which was run by an Airbus A330, was involved in the accident. The plane took off from Copenhagen on June 2 as part of SAS’s plan to resume flights to India after 17 years. But while the plane was near Azerbaijan, it was told to return to where it started instead of continuing toward Mumbai.
Officials at Mumbai Airport were preparing to welcome back the Scandinavian carrier’s service when they learned the plane would not be coming. The sudden change caused confusion among travellers and airport officials.
DGCA approval became the main reason for the return
For the flight to be sent back, there wasn’t enough paperwork and there wasn’t final operating approval from the DGCA. Indian flight rules require foreign carriers to obtain permission from the government before they can begin operating flights to India.
According to those who know the situation, SAS tried to operate the flight without obtaining the necessary permission. Before a foreign airline can start regular service in India, it must undergo an approval process that includes government checks and obtaining the necessary permissions.
Reports say the problem was discovered when air traffic controllers saw that the plane lacked the necessary permissions to continue into Indian airspace. Because of this, the plane had to safely return to Copenhagen.
There were questions about how important it is to follow all the rules before starting foreign flights after the event. The case also showed how strict the rules are that carriers have to follow when they enter new areas.
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Documenting ownership caused more problems
The operating approval was turned down because of paperwork linked to control. Officials say that rules for European companies that fly into India require proof that certain conditions about ownership are met.
Authorities said SAS sent papers that showed it had some ownership, but they couldn’t prove that it had enough ownership. Reports say the airline provided information about who owned a Danish company and a French carrier, but the papers weren’t complete enough to get permission.
The airline couldn’t obtain clearance before starting its planned service because it lacked all the necessary paperwork. Officials said that trying to run the business without final approval was a major legal issue.
SAS stops all flights and ticket sales until June 16
After what happened, SAS said it would temporarily suspend operations in India until June 16. The airline also stopped selling tickets for the trip between Copenhagen and Mumbai while it works with the government to complete the final steps.
The airline said it was working with the right people to get the final approval it needs to start full operations. SAS also said that customers affected by the delay would be informed and given options, such as rebooking or refunds.
The delay was made public so that people who had booked flights on the route would have more information. The company said it would share more information as soon as the approval process made progress.
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Unique Registration number would be given to the company
According to the rules that India follows when giving permission to European airlines, the airline must be owned by at least half of its shareholders from either the place where it started or one of the European member states. This is why the approval permit was turned down.
“SAS only had proof that it was partly owned by a Danish company 26% of the company) and a French carrier (10% of the company.” They were not able to show the mark of half-ownership, so the papers were not full.
“This was a clear attempt to arm-twist us into giving the nod,” said another person. People thought that if they got stuck in the air with a full plane of people, the regulators would give in and find a way to make the landing.
Another person said that the regulator was getting a lot of calls from people stuck in Copenhagen after the accident asking for their money back.
As part of the process to start their new service between Copenhagen and Mumbai, SAS said on Wednesday, “One last formal step remains before we can begin full operations.” We are still working hard with the right people and organisations to get the last approval, and we will let you know as soon as we have more information. Until June 16, ticket sales will not be possible. This is to make sure that our customers have clear information and can plan ahead.
The airline also said that it would be calling each customer to offer them a return or a chance to rebook.
In a statement made before the event, the airline said it thought it would get official approval from the regulatory body while the flight was in the air, but that did not happen.
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