Flight delay will soon entitle you to 'cash & care''

would soon be entitled for cash and care in case their flights are cancelled, delayed or they are denied boarding even when they are holding a confirmed ticket.

The aviation industry regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has come out with the draft guidelines on obligations of airlines towards passengers if they are inconvenienced.

Once finalised, the obligations on airlines would be incorporated in the existing civil aviation requirements (CAR), the aviation industry rule book for operation. DGCA head Nasim Zaidi said the economic regulation is within the purview of the government and the regulator is developing a system for compensation.

As per the draft rules, air carriers would have to pay up to Rs 4,000 to passengers if they are denied boarding despite confirmed booking. The airlines would have to offer either alternative flight or refund of air ticket in case flight is cancelled. The passengers would be entitled for meals, refreshment and accommodation in case a flight is delayed.

“Had these rules been implemented, the Air India episode, a report last week claimed that aviation minister Praful Patel’s daughter forced national carrier to convert a scheduled flight into charter flight inconveniencing passengers, may not have happened,” a DGCA official said on condition of anonymity.

While most of the European countries have empowered passengers by implementing compensation rules broadly stated under the Montreal Convention, India is yet to implement it. The private airlines are not happy with the proposal.

“Almost all the airlines have appropriate reservation and cancellation rules in place. There are already sufficient rules,” a private airline official said on condition of anonymity.

The proposed guidelines would be applicable for both scheduled and non-scheduled airlines. The new rules will require airlines to inform passengers as much in advance as possible about change of aircraft during journey, stops en route and transfer between the airports during the journey. All the information would be required to be provided in the form of a computer print-out.

Source: Economictimes.indiatimes.com