Compensation upto ₹20,000: DGCA new rules for airlines if boarding is denied. Read here
Premium- The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Tuesday issued a statement regarding the conditions
Civil aviation regulator DGCA has laid down conditions for airlines in case a passenger holding a valid ticket and having presented on time is denied boarding.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Tuesday issued a statement regarding the conditions.
According to the civil aviation regulator, in case, an airline is able to arrange an alternate flight for the said passenger within an hour, no compensation is to be paid.
However, if the airline is able to provide the alternate arrangement within the next 24 hours, a compensation upto ₹10,000 is prescribed, the DGCA said in an official statement.
The DGCA further said that a compensation upto ₹20,000 is laid down, for anything beyond 24 hours.
"Our stipulations on the subject are in sync with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and similar regulations are followed globally to accord appropriate respect to passenger rights," the statement said.
Recently, DGCA issued strict instructions to all domestic Airlines to abide by the said regulation in letter and spirit.
"After that, a series of checks were carried out by DGCA and during our surveillance at Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi, there were specific instances, in the case of Air India - where the regulation is not being followed and therefore, a show-cause notice was issued to the Airline and also a personal hearing was afforded," it said.
The aviation regulator has also imposed a fine of ₹10 lakh on Air India for denying boarding to passengers holding valid tickets.
According to the regulator, Air India may not have a policy in this regard and does not pay compensation to the passengers.
"It appears that the Airline does not have a policy in this regard and is not paying any compensation to hapless passengers, whose numbers can be anybody's guess. To say the least, it is a matter of serious concern and unacceptable. In the specific cases detailed in the SCN, after going through AI submissions, as part of enforcement action, the competent authority has levied a penalty of ₹10 lakhs," the DGCA added.
In addition, the airline has also been advised to immediately put the systems in place to resolve the issue - failing which further action shall be taken by DGCA.
With agency inputs