Know Airline Minister's new guidelines on flight delays!

Anger, frustration, arguments, and helplessness. Such scenes from the country’s airports are going viral. In the cold waves in various parts of North India, flight disruptions have reached a point where it is testing passengers’ patience. Actress Radhika Apte also shared a picture sitting on the airport bridge due to flight delays. Travellers’ lives came to a standstill, and their patience was tested multiple times.

Indifferent responses from airline staff and increasing waiting times can infuriate people.

The behaviour of passenger may not be justified, but a 10-hour delay and keeping passengers in the aircraft for hours may also be deemed unacceptable.

Due to fog and bad weather, more than 500 flights were delayed or cancelled in India during December and January. The delay in flights adversely affected the On-Time Performance of airlines. The largest airline IndiGo had only 22% of flights taking off on time, AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India) over 30%, and Air India only 18.6%.

In response to the situation, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation or (DGCA) issued an SOP for airlines. According to the SOP, airlines must provide real-time updates in case of flight delays. If a flight is delayed by more than 3 hours, the airline should consider cancelling it and handle affected passengers with empathy. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia emphasized strict action against airlines violating these rules.

In the event of flight delays or cancellations, the responsibility falls under the Aviation Ministry’s Air Passenger Charter. It allows passengers to opt for an alternative flight, request ticket refunds, or seek compensation.

If the flight is delayed by 2 to 4 hours, the airline will provide refreshments. For delays exceeding 4 hours, passengers are entitled to a full refund. If the flight is delayed by more than 24 hours, the airline must arrange accommodation for passengers. In case of flight cancellation, the airline must inform passengers two weeks in advance and offer an alternative seat or a full refund for the next flight. Within 2 hours of the original departure time, the airline must provide an alternative flight or a full refund. If a connecting flight is missed due to a delay, the airline is responsible for expenses or arranging an alternative ticket. Overbooking may result in a fine of Rs 10,000 within 24 hours, and Rs 20,000 if booked after that time.

These rules may not apply in special circumstances. According to Air India’s former Executive Director and Aviation Consultant Jitendra Bhargav, airlines are constrained in situations like natural disruptions. Factors like fog can affect schedules, and in such cases, airlines may not be able to take action. Passengers can take action in normal delays, but airlines are not responsible for natural disruptions.

Compensation for flight delays is calculated based on the flight’s block timing. Each flight has a block timing, which includes the time taken by the flight to take off from departure gate and land at arrival gate. If you have boarded a flight, then, you must have noticed, that, after passengers are seated inside the flight and gate is closed, before taking off, the aircraft first runs on runway. Similarly, after it makes a landing, the flight first runs on the runway before finally coming to a halt and passengers are deboarded.

When we check flight timings on websites, the time mentioned there is the time between actual start time of real take off and the exact time it will make a landing. But the time that flight spends on runway is not included in it. But the period of taxiing or the time the flight spends on the runway is included in the block timing.

If the block time of a flight is less than one hour, then either a compensation of 5,000, or, the lesser of one-way basic fare and airline fuel charges should be paid to the passenger. The compensation amount increases with an increase in block time.

If you are dissatisfied with the airline’s service, you can demand a refund or compensation. You can also file a complaint for Deficiency of Service against the airline. If there is no resolution after the complaint, you can register a complaint with the aviation regulator DGCA or through the government’s AirSewa app. However, many people tend to forget about their journey after it’s completed, so be aware of your rights in case of flight delays or cancellations and speak up.