The TDP leader took charge of the ministry on June 13.
Expressing his condolences to the family of the taxi driver who was killed after a portion of the roof collapsed at Delhi Airport's Terminal 1 on Friday morning, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has said that the ministry swung into action immediately and everyone was evacuated from the terminal as a precautionary measure.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV, Mr Naidu - who took charge of the ministry on June 13 - also listed the steps that the government is taking to ensure that the tragedy does not happen again and emphasised that the safety and comfort of passengers is his top priority.
The cab driver was killed and five others were injured in the collapse, which occurred around 5.30 am at Terminal 1 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport, which is one of the world's busiest airports. Operations were stopped at the terminal for the rest of the day, leading to IndiGo and SpiceJet, the only two airlines that operate from there, cancelling some flights and moving others to Terminals 2 and 3.
"It is an unfortunate accident, especially in the very early days of me taking charge of the ministry. As soon as I knew that such an incident happened, I wanted to rush to the airport. It was a little challenging at the time considering there was heavy rain and there was traffic congestion across Delhi, but one thing I have to mention is the kind of encouragement I got from PM Narendra Modi. He called me immediately and gave me the encouragement and guidance on how to handle such a crisis," Mr Naidu, who went to the airport soon after the accident, said.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader said the injured were rushed to hospitals immediately and the ministry is ensuring that proper medical care is given to them.
"One of the first things we did was to evacuate the entire building as a precautionary measure. All flight operations from T1 were also stopped and, to avoid passenger inconvenience, we transferred all the traffic to T2 and T3, where additional manpower was provided," he said.
War Room
Sharing details of a review meeting he had with the Civil Aviation secretary and officials of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Airports Authority of India, among others, the minister said a 24X7 war room has been set up so that passengers can get refunds within seven days or an "alternate choice of travel". Helpline numbers have also been given.
Highlighting the advisory to airlines against raising airfares on routes to and from Delhi, the minister said the focus is also on trying to find out why the collapse happened.
IIT Team
When it was pointed out to him that a portion of the canopy at the Jabalpur airport had also fallen on Thursday, Mr Naidu said, "There have been two back-to-back incidents and we were very concerned. A structural engineering team from IIT Delhi has also been brought in to investigate... A team is also being sent to Jabalpur. All of the nearly 157 airports in the country will see a structural inspection being done. I have asked for a report on my table within two to five days."
"When we get the reports, we will see what needs to be done, whether it is regulation or a policy framework. Passenger convenience and safety has been my motto right from day one of taking charge of the ministry," he assured.
When he was asked about visiting the injured in the hospital and thanking the staff members involved in the rescue operation, Mr Naidu said he had done so because he was concerned and also wanted to express his gratitude.
"I wanted to give that sense of confidence that the government is there for them and the minister is there for them. It's through these gestures that I want to send a message to the people of the country that the Civil Aviation Ministry is your ministry; we care and we are listening to you," he said.
'Political Brownie Points'
On the opposition claiming that the roof fell in the terminal that was inaugurated by PM Modi three months ago, Mr Naidu stressed that this was not the case.
"This is fake news. The collapse happened in a part of a building that was constructed and inaugurated in 2009. This is not an excuse, but linking it to the inauguration is totally fake news. I don't think this is where people should try to score political brownie points... I wanted to see political maturity," he said.