Flight delayed or cancelled? Here's how airlines must compensate you

Social media has recently been flooded with videos showing air travelers expressing their dissatisfaction with airport staff due to flight delays across various airports. These delays have been attributed to factors such as adverse weather, crew shortages, and a lack of available aircraft.

As a response, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has released new guidelines to ensure passengers are compensated appropriately for any inconveniences caused.

A report by Hindustan Times states that approximately 269,000 passengers have received compensation for flight delays, while about 40,000 have been compensated for flight cancellations. In addition, 1,231 passengers have been compensated for being denied boarding.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)'s Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) Section 3, Series M, Part IV, titled "Facilities to be provided to passengers by airlines due to denied boarding, cancellation of flights and delays in flights", airlines are obligated to provide assistance to passengers affected by cancellations and delays.

Passengers can claim compensation in the following scenarios:

- For flight cancellations, airlines are required to offer either an alternative flight or a full refund of the ticket price, along with compensation. Additionally, the airline must provide meals and refreshments to those passengers who have already checked in for their original flight and are waiting at the airport for the alternate flight.

- In the event of a flight delay, the airline must provide meals and refreshments, offer an alternative flight or a full ticket refund, or arrange hotel accommodations (including transportation) depending on the length of the delay.

- Regarding overbooked flights, airlines should initially seek volunteers willing to give up their seats. If a passenger does not volunteer and the airline cannot provide a replacement flight within an hour of the original scheduled departure, the airline is required to compensate the passenger. This compensation includes 200 per cent of the one-way fare plus the airline fuel surcharge, capped at Rs 10,000, if an alternate flight is scheduled within 24 hours.

If the alternative flight is offered more than 24 hours after the original departure time, the compensation increases to 400 per cent of the booked one-way fare plus the airline fuel charge, with a maximum cap of INR 20,000.

(Disclaimer: This article has been written by a generative AI tool and has been edited and reviewed by the DH Web Desk.)