VASCO: The chartered passengers who have been stranded in the state due to the Icelandic volcanic ash are being inconvenienced due to the non-arrival of chartered flights.

It is understood that the Home Ministry, last week, had provided a special dispensation according to which Europe-bound air passengers whose visas have expired or are about to expire and who are stranded in India (including Goa)
due to the volcanic ash, can fly back to their destinations within 15 days.
Sources at the Dabolim airport revealed that there are still about 800 to 1,000 passengers from European countries that are stranded in Goa due to cancellation of chartered flights. About four to five chartered flights have been re-scheduled and would arrive at the Dabolim airport in a couple of days but till then the passengers have to bear the inconvenience.
The chartered passengers allege that the immigration department is not guiding them properly on the special dispensation provided by the government. A chartered passenger from UK, Mr Hemilton George informed that he had come to Goa in the first week of April. “I was surprised to learn that the volcanic ash had led to stoppage of flights arriving in Goa and many other flights have been affected due to the unexpected natural disaster,” said Mr George who had been to the Dabolim airport on Saturday to find out the status of the chartered flights, which are to arrive in Goa. He said that he had no knowledge about the dispensation. He alleged that the immigration cell at the airport had not permitted him to fly by scheduled international flight. He felt unhappy over the affairs and has requested the airport authorities to look into the issue and sort it out at the earliest.
The airport sources informed that as per the rule framed by the DGCA, chartered passengers are bound to fly by the chartered flights only and they cannot opt for scheduled flights. “The DGCA rules are framed to prevent chartered airlines competing with regular airlines,” stated the airport sources. Meanwhile, the matter pertaining to the permission for the stranded chartered passengers to fly by other airlines is being taken up by the civil aviation ministry.