A DGCA order says, “All passenger window shades, where applicable, (except at emergency exit windows) shall remain closed during the take-off and landing phases specifically, until the aircraft is airborne and has crossed an altitude of 10,000 feet during departure, or during arrival, it descends below 10,000 feet and reaches the parking bay at the civil terminal”
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The DGCA has issued a directive to airlines, helicopter and chartered plane operators, mandating that window shades for passenger seats remain closed for flights arriving into and departing from defence airfields until the aircraft reaches an altitude of 10,000 feet during ascent or after it descends below that height.
“The order was issued on the recommendation of the Ministry of Defence,” a senior DGCA official told The Hindu on the condition of anonymity.
The order says, “All passenger window shades, where applicable, (except at emergency exit windows) shall remain closed during the take-off and landing phases specifically, until the aircraft is airborne and has crossed an altitude of 10,000 feet during departure, or during arrival, it descends below 10,000 feet and reaches the parking bay at the civil terminal.” It was issued on May 20.
Airlines and other air operators will also have to remind passengers that photography and videography are prohibited at military bases.
Several defence airfields in India double up as commercial airports and are known as civil enclaves. These include Leh, Srinagar, Chandigarh, Pune, Jamnagar, Bagdogra, among others.
Airlines have been instructed to prepare standard operating protocols for their crew to address safety risks, including making announcements before take-off and landing at all Defence airports, “particularly those near the western Indian border”. Violating these rules will lead to legal action against passengers, says the order.
Several pilots, while speaking anonymously, flagged that keeping windows open during landing and take off is a mandatory safety requirement as it helps visually monitor external environment and identify potential hazards such as an engine fire from either a techincal fault or a bird strike, which are known to happen during the take off and landing stages of a flight. The open windows also help ensure situational awareness in an event of emergency leading to an evacuation, such as identifying obstacles or safe exit paths.
In response, a senior DGCA official said that the emergency exit windows were being kept open for these reasons, adding that the order will be reviewed in a week’s time.
Published – May 22, 2025 09:19 pm IST