Air tickets booked before and during coronavirus lockdown refundable, DGCA tells SC

The Centre told the Supreme Court that people who have booked air tickets during the coronavirus lockdown are entitled to immediate refunds.

In case the tickets were booked prior to the lockdown up to May 24, the refund would be governed by the credit shell and incentive scheme, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) told the top court.

The Centre had earlier introduced an incentive scheme by which 0.5 per cent interest will accrue on the original fare lying in the credit shell from the date of cancellation of the flight till June 30, 2020. Beyond this period, the passenger can avail 0.75 per cent interest every month till March 31, 2021.

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Following the clarification sought by the apex court on September 9 in a PIL filed by NGO Pravasi Legal Cell, the DGCA filed a supplementary affidavit, saying that the refunds were broadly divided into three categories.

The first category is of those who booked tickets prior to the lockdown for travel up to May 24 (as calibrated domestic operation recommenced from May 25, 2020), who will be governed by the proposed credit shell and incentive scheme.

In the second category, passengers who booked tickets during the lockdown will be entitled to an immediate refund of fares by the respective airlines as the latter were not supposed to book such tickets.

In the third category are persons who booked tickets at any point in time, but for travel after May 24, to whom refunds will be governed by CAR (Civil Aviation Requirement) provisions.