On Wednesday, Aviation regulator DGCA issued detailed guidelines regarding a refund of the ticket price for the flights cancelled amid the coronavirus-triggered lockdown.

The guidelines came 6 days after the Apex Court ordered that a full & immediate refund should be given to passengers for the air tickets cancelled between March 25 & May 24. No domestic passenger flights operated in the country in this period.

On Oct 1, the Supreme Court also passed directions about the refund & credit shell formation for the bookings & cancellations done during the other time periods around the lockdown.

Based on the Court order, the DGCA categorised passengers in three categories -- those who booked tickets between March 25 & May 24 for travelling within the same period, those who booked tickets prior to March 25 but the travel period was till May 24, those who booked tickets anytime but for a journey post-May 24.

The regulator said the passengers belonging to the first category must be given a full refund by the airline concerned for the tickets cancelled.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the airlines should “make all endeavours” to refund the passengers belonging to the second category within 15 days.

“If on account of financial stress, any airline/airlines are not able to do so, they shall provide a credit shell equal to the amount of fare collected (to the passenger),” it added The passengers can then use the credit shells to book any ticket by March 31, 2021, the DGCA noted.

Those belonging to the 3rd category will be given a refund in accordance with the existing DGCA rules.

The Indian aviation industry has been hit hard due to the COVID-19 pandemic & as a result, all airlines in the country have opted for cost-cutting measures such as layoffs, leave without pay for the employees etc.

Scheduled domestic passenger flight services resumed in the country after a gap of two months on May 25. Currently, airlines are permitted to operate only up to 60 per cent of their pre-COVID domestic flights.

Scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in the country since March 23. However, special international passenger flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat mission since May & under air bubble arrangements formed with various countries since July. 

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