Category: Travel

A senior Army officer’s refusal to pay excess baggage charges for 16 kg of cabin luggage—more than double the permitted 7 kg limit—escalated into a violent assault on four SpiceJet employees at Srinagar Airport on July 26. The confrontation left one staffer with a spinal fracture, another with a broken jaw, and two others with serious injuries. According to SpiceJet, the officer attempted to board a Delhi‐bound flight without settling the additional baggage fees. When ground personnel politely informed him of the policy and asked for payment, he forcefully entered the aerobridge in violation of security protocols. A CISF official escorted him back to the gate, but the officer then turned aggressive, wielding a check‐in information board and physically attacking the staff. Disturbing footage shows the officer repeatedly striking employees and kicking a colleague who had collapsed unconscious. One victim sustained repeated kicks to the spine, resulting in a fracture, while another suffered severe jaw injuries and bleeding after being struck. The injured were rushed to hospital, where they remain under treatment. SpiceJet has filed a police complaint, requested that the officer be placed on a no‐fly list, and written to the Ministry of Civil Aviation seeking regulatory action. “We strongly condemn any act of violence against our employees and will pursue full legal and regulatory recourse,” the airline stated. The CISF confirmed its personnel intervened swiftly to restore order and keep flight operations running. Army sources say senior leadership is monitoring the investigation closely and will cooperate fully.

In a shocking incident aboard IndiGo flight 6E 138 from Mumbai to Kolkata, a male passenger allegedly slapped a fellow passenger before the flight took off on Friday morning. The altercation occurred after the boarding process had been completed and passengers were seated, just before the aircraft began taxiing at the Mumbai airport. According to sources, the accused suddenly slapped another male passenger, who was walking toward the front of the aircraft. A video circulating on social media, though yet to be independently verified, shows the victim visibly distressed and crying while fellow passengers protest the violent behaviour. IndiGo crew members swiftly intervened and moved the victim away from the scene. The airline alerted its ground team at Kolkata airport about the incident. Upon landing at 5:35 AM, both passengers were escorted off the aircraft by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel and IndiGo security staff. They were then handed over to the police at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport. Both individuals were detained and questioned at the airport police station. While the accused was not arrested, he was issued a formal warning and released. Police sources have indicated that the victim may have underlying mental health issues, although no further details have been disclosed. The identities of both passengers remain undisclosed. IndiGo issued an official statement on X (formerly Twitter), strongly condemning the unruly behaviour. “Such behaviour is completely unacceptable, and we remain committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment on all our flights,” the airline stated. They added that all regulatory agencies had been duly informed, and their crew had acted according to standard procedures. The incident has raised fresh concerns about in-flight safety and passenger conduct, particularly on domestic routes that have seen a rise in such altercations in recent times.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) conducted a routine safety audit of Air India between July 1 and 4, uncovering a total of 51 violations and observations across multiple operational areas. At least two senior officials confirmed to the Hindustan Times that many of these fell under the DGCA’s “Level I” safety classification, denoting critical lapses that demand immediate corrective action. Among the seven Level I findings was an incident in which an Air India Boeing 787 flight from Milan to New Delhi exceeded its maximum duty time by 2 hours and 18 minutes. Other critical breaches included recurrent training deficiencies among Boeing 787 and 777 pilots—several had missed mandatory line-checks prior to their periodic evaluations—and the use of flight simulators that did not meet DGCA qualification standards. The audit flagged significant shortcomings in Air India’s operational planning for “Category C” airports (typically high-altitude or otherwise demanding airfields), noting that proper route assessments had not been conducted. The airline’s crew rostering system was also criticized for failing to generate “hard alerts” when minimum staffing levels weren’t met; Reuters reports that at least four international departures operated with insufficient cabin crew on board. Additional non-compliances—44 in total—ranged from inconsistencies in door and safety-equipment inspections to gaps in training documentation. The DGCA noted the absence of designated chief pilots for both the Airbus A320 and A350 fleets, creating “a lack of accountability and effective monitoring of flight operations” for those aircraft types. Air India has been given until July 30 to submit a detailed corrective-action plan addressing the critical Level I findings, and until August 23 to resolve the remaining issues. The carrier has acknowledged the audit results, pledging full transparency and promising to work with the regulator to enhance its safety framework. These findings come amid heightened regulatory scrutiny of Air India following the June 12 crash of Flight AI-171, as well as a spate of passenger complaints concerning maintenance and cabin conditions. In late July, the DGCA issued multiple show-cause notices to the airline and its senior management over systemic lapses, and has ordered mandatory safety checks on all Boeing 787s in the fleet.

Mandi (Himachal Pradesh), July 29, 2025 — A flash flood triggered by a cloudburst wreaked havoc in Mandi town on Monday night, leaving three people dead and several others injured or missing, officials confirmed on Tuesday. According to Deputy Commissioner Apoorva Devgan, one woman remains missing, and at least 15–20 people have been rescued so far as rescue operations continue. One person sustained injuries in the incident. The deluge, caused by gushing waters from the Sukati nallahs, buried over 20 vehicles under debris and inundated several houses across a 5-km stretch. The worst-affected areas include Jail Road, Saini Mohalla, and the vicinity of the Zonal Hospital. Highways and Infrastructure Crippled The Chandigarh-Manali National Highway has been closed at 4 Mile, 9 Mile, and Dwada due to major damage. Landslides also blocked the Shimla-Mataur National Highway at Old Kangra Ghat. Multiple reports of uprooted trees and snapped power lines have emerged from across the state. A total of 200 roads, including 121 in Mandi alone, are closed, while 62 power transformers and 110 water supply schemes have been disrupted, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre. Weather Alerts and Continuing Monsoon Woes The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated parts of Kangra, Mandi, and Kullu districts on Tuesday. A yellow alert is in effect for Chamba, Shimla, Sirmaur, Una, Kangra, Mandi, and Kullu districts through Wednesday. Since the monsoon onset on June 20, Himachal Pradesh has suffered ₹1,523 crore in losses. So far, 90 people have died, 35 are missing, and 1,320 houses have been fully or partially damaged in rain-related incidents. Leaders on the Ground Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, along with DC Apoorva Devgan, visited the disaster site in Mandi on Tuesday to oversee rescue and relief efforts.

मंगलवार सुबह दिल्ली के कई इलाकों में भारी बारिश और गरज-चमक के साथ तूफान देखने को मिला, जिससे लोगों को लंबे समय से चल रही उमस भरी गर्मी से राहत मिली। भारत मौसम विज्ञान विभाग (IMD) के अनुसार, देश के विभिन्न हिस्सों में 4 अगस्त तक भारी बारिश की संभावना है। उत्तर पश्चिम भारत के पूर्वी राजस्थान और हिमाचल प्रदेश में 29 जुलाई को अत्यधिक भारी वर्षा की संभावना जताई गई है। इसके अलावा, उत्तराखंड, पंजाब और हरियाणा में भी भारी बारिश के आसार हैं। पश्चिम भारत के कोंकण और गुजरात क्षेत्रों में 29 जुलाई को कुछ स्थानों पर भारी बारिश हो सकती है, जबकि अगले 6-7 दिनों तक हल्की से मध्यम वर्षा जारी रहने की संभावना है। पूर्वोत्तर भारत, विशेषकर असम और अरुणाचल प्रदेश में भारी से बहुत भारी वर्षा की भविष्यवाणी की गई है। वहीं, बिहार और मध्य प्रदेश सहित पूर्व और मध्य भारत में कहीं-कहीं भारी बारिश और गरज-चमक के साथ बौछारें पड़ सकती हैं। दक्षिण भारत के केरल और तटीय कर्नाटक क्षेत्रों में 29-30 जुलाई को भारी बारिश के साथ 40-50 किमी प्रति घंटे की रफ्तार से तेज हवाएं चलने की आशंका है। अगले सप्ताह दक्षिणी क्षेत्रों में हल्की से मध्यम बारिश और गरज-चमक के आसार हैं। इसी बीच, एयर इंडिया ने दिल्ली में तेज हवाओं और बारिश के कारण मंगलवार सुबह उड़ानों में व्यवधान की आशंका जताते हुए यात्रियों को सावधानी बरतने की सलाह दी है। एयर इंडिया ने एक्स (पूर्व में ट्विटर) पर कहा, “तेज हवाएं और बारिश दिल्ली आने-जाने वाली उड़ानों को प्रभावित कर सकती हैं। कृपया हवाई अड्डे के लिए निकलने से पहले अपनी उड़ान की स्थिति जांचें और यात्रा के लिए अतिरिक्त समय रखें।” इंडिगो एयरलाइंस ने भी सोशल मीडिया पर लिखा, “दिल्ली में भारी बारिश की संभावना के कारण उड़ानों में देरी और हवाई अड्डे तक पहुंचने में ट्रैफिक की गति धीमी हो सकती है। कृपया अपनी यात्रा में थोड़ा अतिरिक्त समय रखें और उड़ान की जानकारी समय-समय पर जांचते रहें।” स्पाइसजेट ने दिल्ली और धर्मशाला में खराब मौसम की जानकारी साझा करते हुए कहा, “खराब मौसम के कारण दिल्ली (DEL) और धर्मशाला (DHM) में सभी उड़ानें और उनके असर वाली उड़ानें प्रभावित हो सकती हैं। यात्री कृपया http://spicejet.com/#status पर अपनी उड़ान की स्थिति जांचते रहें।” IMD के अनुसार, आगामी कुछ दिनों में उत्तर पश्चिम, उत्तर पूर्व और पूर्वी भारत में व्यापक रूप से बारिश जारी रहेगी, जबकि मध्य और प्रायद्वीपीय भारत में भी छिटपुट से लेकर व्यापक वर्षा की संभावना बनी हुई है। 30 जुलाई (बुधवार) को पूर्वी राजस्थान में कुछ स्थानों पर बहुत भारी बारिश का पूर्वानुमान है। इसके अलावा, अरुणाचल प्रदेश, असम, मेघालय, बिहार, छत्तीसगढ़, हिमाचल प्रदेश, जम्मू-कश्मीर, लद्दाख, गिलगिट-बाल्टिस्तान, मुजफ्फराबाद, झारखंड, केरल, माहे, मध्य प्रदेश, उत्तर प्रदेश, उत्तराखंड, पश्चिम बंगाल, सिक्किम और पश्चिम राजस्थान में अलग-अलग स्थानों पर भारी वर्षा हो सकती है। बिहार, गंगा-पश्चिम बंगाल, जम्मू-कश्मीर, लद्दाख, गिलगिट-बाल्टिस्तान, मुजफ्फराबाद और झारखंड में गरज-चमक के साथ तूफान और 30-40 किमी प्रति घंटे की गति से तेज हवाएं चल सकती हैं। इसके अलावा, अरुणाचल प्रदेश, असम, मेघालय, छत्तीसगढ़, गुजरात, मध्य प्रदेश, नागालैंड, मणिपुर, मिजोरम, त्रिपुरा, राजस्थान, उत्तर प्रदेश, उत्तराखंड और विदर्भ में भी गरज-चमक के साथ बारिश होने की संभावना है। आंध्र प्रदेश, केरल, माहे और लक्षद्वीप में भी कुछ स्थानों पर सतही तेज हवाएं चल सकती हैं। वहीं, सोमालिया, यमन, दक्षिण ओमान और अरब सागर के पश्चिम-मध्य और दक्षिण-पश्चिम हिस्सों में 45-55 किमी प्रति घंटे की रफ्तार से चलने वाली हवाओं के साथ समुद्री मौसम खराब रहने की चेतावनी दी गई है। कोंकण, गोवा, कर्नाटक और गुजरात तट पर और उससे सटे अरब सागर के हिस्सों में भी 40-65 किमी प्रति घंटे की रफ्तार से तेज हवाओं के साथ खराब मौसम की संभावना जताई गई है।