Lok Sabha Question No. 128 (STARRED), answered on 2022-02-10
Subject: Cancellation of Air Tickets
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Sarmistha Sethi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA\_ MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION LOK SABHA 128 (To be answered on the February 2022) l0th

## CANCELLATION OF AIR TICKETS

## *128. SHRIMATI SARMISTHA SETHI

Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state: -

- (a) whether the Government is aware 0f arbitrary cancellation charges levied by private airlines at the time of crisis like pandemic; lockdown; cyclone etc and if the details thereof;
- (c) whether any complaints have been received for levying f such charges against private airlines during the last three years and if s0, the details thereof; category and year-wise alongwith the action taken thereon?
- (b) whether any guidelines or instructions have been issued to the private airlines against such arbitrary cancellation charges and if $0, the details thereof; and

## ANSWER

(Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia)

(a) to (c): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

*****

## STATEMENT IN RESPECT OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 128 REGARDING "CANCELLATION OF AIR TICKETS" TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.02.2022.

- (a) & (b): Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR), Section-3, Series-M; Part-II titled "Refund of airline tickets to passenger of public transport undertakings" wherein interalia the following provisions in respect of cancellation charges have been laid down:-
- iii) Under no circumstances, the airline 0r its agent shall levy cancellation charge more than the basic fare plus fuel surcharge: This wiil exclude any charges levied by the travel agent; which have been fully disclosed at the time of booking: It shall be the responsibility of the airline to ensure this through their contracts with travel agents/portals
- 1) Cancellation charges must be indicated prominently at the time of booking ii) The airlines shall refund all statutory taxes and User Development Fee (UDFY Airport Development Fee (ADF) Passenger Service Fee (PSF) to the passengers in case of cancellation/non-utilization of tickets no show. This provision shall also be applicable for all types of promos/special fares and where the basic fare is nonrefundable.

During the lockdown due to COVID 19 pandemic, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had issued circular dated 07/10/2020 directing the airlines t0 issue refund as per directions thereof for cancelled tickets on account of lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic. As per this circular, the Airlines were to refund the full amount against the ticket booked during the prescribed period and other conditions mentioned therein for both domestic and international air travel.

- (c): Ministry of Civil Aviation Directorate General of Civil Aviation has been receiving grievances related to air transport including o the airfare charges payable by the public They are redressed as per the established mechanism extant guidelines in the matter. Further, Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched Air-Sewa Application a digital platform; for enabling travellers to submit grievances and seek information on air travel in India: Passengers may report their grievances on Air-Sewa Application for expeditious disposai: Details of the number of passenger complaints against private airlines during last three years, as submitted by the scheduled domestic airlines to Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as part of monthly submission of traffic data, are attached as Annexure.

Annexure Statement referred to in reply of Lok Sabha Starred Questin no. 128 for answer on 10.02.2022.

2019

|                 | Nature of Complaint   | Nature of Complaint   | Nature of Complaint   | Nature of Complaint   | Nature of Complaint   | Nature of Complaint   | Nature of Complaint   | Nature of Complaint   |   Nature of Complaint | J    |
|-----------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|------|
| Airline         |                       |                       |                       |                       |                       |                       |                       | 8                     |                     8 | J    |
| Air Asia        | 0                     | 67                    | 62                    | 44                    | 22                    | 0                     | 20                    | 0                     |                     0 | 215  |
| Vistara         | 5                     | 16                    | 8                     | 14                    |                       | 1                     | 30                    | 0                     |                     0 | 99   |
| Go Air          | 0                     | 0                     | 94                    | 444                   | 102                   | 0                     | 9                     | 17                    |                    82 | 748  |
| IndiGo          | 0                     | 48                    | 1679                  | 857                   | 664                   | 65                    | 23                    | 0                     |                     0 | 3336 |
| Spicejet        | 0                     |                       | 898                   | 163                   | 110                   | 0                     | 36                    | 0                     |                   123 | 1330 |
| Air India (Dom) | 0                     | 60                    | 1133                  | 566                   | 1323                  | 19                    | 218                   |                       |                     2 | 3321 |
| Trujet          |                       | 4                     | 14                    | 3                     | 0                     | 0                     | 0                     | 0                     |                     3 | 25   |
| Total           | 6                     | 195                   | 3888                  | 2091                  | 2246                  | 85                    | 336                   | 17                    |                   210 | 9074 |

2020

|                 | Nature of Complaint   | Nature of Complaint   | Nature of Complaint   | Nature of Complaint   | Nature of Complaint   | Nature of Complaint   | Nature of Complaint   | Nature of Complaint   | Nature of Complaint   |    2 |
|-----------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|------|
| Airline         |                       |                       |                       |                       |                       |                       | 8                     | 8                     | 8                     |    2 |
| Air Asia        | 0                     | 41                    | 22                    | 13                    | 10                    | 0                     |                       | 0                     | 0                     |   87 |
| Vistara         | 1                     | 6                     |                       | 11                    | 13                    | 0                     | 7                     | 0                     | 0                     |   39 |
| Go Air          |                       |                       | 173                   | 166                   | 19                    |                       |                       |                       | 25                    |  384 |
| IndiGo          |                       | 44                    | 288                   | 164                   | 224                   |                       |                       | 0                     | 0                     |  730 |
| Spicejet        |                       | 0                     | 346                   | 62                    | 65                    | 3                     | 21                    | 6                     | 79                    |  582 |
| Air India (Dom) |                       | 2129                  | 250                   | 110                   | 313                   |                       | 93                    | 0                     | 34                    | 3104 |
| Trujet          |                       | 6                     | 6                     | 5                     | 0                     |                       | 0                     |                       |                       |   17 |
| Total           |                       | 2226                  | 1086                  | 531                   | 644                   | 12                    | 123                   | 7                     | 138                   | 4943 |

|                 | Nature of Complaint   | Nature of Complaint   | Nature of Complaint   | Nature of Complaint   | Nature of Complaint   | Nature of Complaint   | Nature of Complaint   |   Nature of Complaint | Nature of Complaint   |    2 |
|-----------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|------|
| Airline         |                       |                       |                       |                       |                       |                       | 8                     |                     8 |                       |    2 |
| Air Asia        | 0                     | 25                    | 20                    | 8                     | 22                    | 0                     | 3                     |                     0 | 0                     |   78 |
| Vistara         | 1                     | 12                    | 2                     | 0                     | 32                    | 3                     | 5                     |                     0 | 5                     |   60 |
| Go Air          |                       | 0                     | 17                    | 50                    | 17                    |                       | 0                     |                     6 | 2                     |   92 |
| IndiGo          |                       | 2                     | 99                    | 82                    | 78                    |                       | 0                     |                     0 |                       |  261 |
| Spicejet        |                       | 0                     | 331                   | 68                    | 39                    | 0                     | 17                    |                     6 | 7                     |  538 |
| Air India (Dom) |                       | 2145                  | 344                   | 193                   | 855                   | 0                     | 300                   |                     2 | 29                    | 3868 |
| Trujet          |                       | 6                     |                       |                       | 0                     |                       |                       |                     0 |                       |   14 |
| Alliance Air    | 125                   | 69                    | 209                   | 36                    | 11                    | 5                     | 6                     |                     0 | 8                     |  469 |
| Total           |                       | 2259                  | 1028                  | 438                   | 1054                  | 8                     | 331                   |                    14 | 122                   | 5380 |