Lok Sabha Question No. 3086 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-11
Subject: Inconvenience to Passengers
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: M. K. Raghavan

3086.

## MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION LOK SABHA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 3086 (To be answered on the July 2019) I1th

## INCONVENIENCE TO PASSENGERS

SHRI MK RAGHAVAN

## Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state: -

- (a) whether the Government is aware that large number of flights, on domestic and international sectors operated by all the airlines in the country frequently cancel their schedules thereby leaving the passengers in the lurch by giving false status informations and if sO, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor;
- (c) the details of action, like proper briefing 0n the status of the flights including compensation, welfare of service taken by the airlines including by the low cost carriers; and
- (b) whether many of the passengers miss their exams, career, family gathering, other important activities, etc. due to lapse on the of airlines and if so, the reaction of the Government thereto; part
- (d) whether the Government proposes to establish a Government Police Post inside the airports beyond the security check area, for the passengers to register their complaints on the mis-management by the airline officials during such occasions and if s0, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

Minister of State (IC) in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION

(Shri Hardeep Singh Puri)

- (a) Flights are operated by airlines as per published schedule: However, at times, flights are cancelied due to commercial; technical, weather and operational reasons\_ Airlines are expected to give the correct reasons and likely time of departure. Details of flights cancelled by airlines during January 2019 to 2019 are at Annexure-A\_ May
- (b) Cancellation of flights leads to various hardships to the travelling passenger
- (c) To reduce inconvenience caused to the passengers, this Ministry has

released the Charter of passenger rights on 27.02.2019 which has the provisions for regulation in case 0f flight delays, flight cancellations, boarding denied due to overbooking; flight diversions, cancellation charges, lost/ delayed/ damaged baggage or cargo etc; The airlines are required to inform the passengers Of the cancellation at least two weeks before the scheduled time of departure and arrange alternate flightlrefund as acceptable to the passenger. In case the passengers are informed of the cancellation less than two weeks before and up to 24 hours of the scheduled time of departure; the airlines are required to offer an alternate flight or refund the ticket; as acceptable to the passenger; For passengers who have not been informed or missed the connecting flight booked on the same ticket number of an airline; the airlines shall either provide alternate flight as acceptable to the passenger or provide compensation in addition to the full refund of air ticket in accordance with the following provisions:

(ii) INR 7,500 or booked one-way basic fare airline fuel charge, whichever is less for flights having block time of more than 01 hour and up to and including 02 hours plus

(i) INR 5,000 or booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, whichever is less for flights having a block time of up to and including 01 hour

(iii) INR 10,000 or booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, whichever is less for flights having a block time of more than 02 hours. Additionally; the airline shall provide them facilities at the airport in accordance with the passenger charter in the event have already reported for their original flight and whilst they are waiting for the alternate flight: they

(d) No such proposai is under consideration in this Ministry.

## Month-wise flight cancellation details of airlines

| Airlines     | Jan-19   | Feb-19   | Mar-19   | Apr-19   | May-19   |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
| Air Asia     | 5        | 89       | 28       | 0        | 18       |
| Go Air       | 55       | 37       | 3        | 2        | 27       |
| IndiGo       | 922      | 645      | 66       | 43       | 383      |
| JetLite      | 20       | 0        | 77       |          |          |
| Spicejet     | 109      | 125      | 115      | 84       | 65       |
| Jet Airways  | 179      | 197      | 105      | 229      |          |
| Vistara      | 20       | 26       | 3        | 13       | 25       |
| Air India    | 322      |          | 298      | 130      | 111      |
| Star Air     | 0        | 2        | 8        | 2        |          |
| Trujet       |          | 0        | 5        | 6        | 22       |
| Air Heritage | 42       | 14       | 0        | 0        |          |
| Pawan Hans   |          |          |          |          | 6        |
| Air Deccan   |          |          |          |          | 6        |
| Total        | 1674     | 1383     | 708      | 581      | 671      |