Flight delay and cancellation nightmares just got slightly more bearable.
Starting August 1, airlines will be required to pay up to ₹10,000 to fliers for cancelling or delaying a flight for more than two hours, and up to ₹20,000 for not allowing a passenger to board the flight.
The rules are part of the new aviation guidelines from aviation regulator DGCA, which has revised compensation for air passengers. Airlines currently compensate up to ₹4,000 for denying boarding and flight cancellations.
However, according to Air Passengers Association of India (APAI) founder and president D Sudhakara Reddy, the new norms need further clarity.
For instance, airlines will be required to compensate up to ₹5,000 or the fare for a booked one-way basic fare plus fuel charge, whichever is less for a cancelled or delayed flight with a block time of up to one hour if the flier has not been informed by the airline as per aviation rules.
Block hours refer to the period when an aircraft pushes back from its departure gate till the moment it reaches the arrival gate.
However, for delays or cancellations exceeding one hour, but up to two hours of block time, the compensation amount will be ₹7,500 or booked one-way basic fare plus fuel charge, whichever is less, besides the refund amount. For delays or cancellations for more than two hours, the compensation will be ₹10,000 or booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, whichever is less.
In case a passenger is denied boarding, airlines will have to pay 200 per cent of booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, for a maximum of ₹20,000, in case airline arranges alternate flight that is scheduled to depart within 24 hours of the booked scheduled departure, as per the revised norms.
With PTI inputs