SC asks Centre to clarify on modalities of refund to passengers, agents of air tickets booked during Covid-19 lockdown

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to clarify by Friday the modalities of refund of air tickets to be made to the passengers and travel agents in view of cancellation of flights during the coronavirus lockdown.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy and M R Shah said that it is only concerned with the refund and non-refund of money for tickets booked during the lockdown period.

Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for NGO ‘Pravasi Legal Cell', said that the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA) should also cover people for refund, who have booked flights on these carriers to come back to India like in the Gulf countries.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the DGCA, said that the government has taken a decision of refund keeping in mind the welfare of all and an appropriate solution has been worked out.

Mehta said that a holistic view has been taken keeping in mind the interests of passengers and the airlines and agreed to file a fresh affidavit in the matter. The court posted the case for hearing on September 25.

The Centre has earlier told the court that people who have booked air tickets during the lockdown are entitled to immediate refunds.

In case of tickets booked prior to the lockdown up to May 24, the refund would be governed by the credit shell and incentive scheme, the DGCA said.

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.