Question : Complaints against Airlines

(a) the details as to the number of consumer complaints received by the Government with regard to domestic air travel operators along with the prominent reasons of such complaints received during the last three years and the current year, year-wise;

(b) whether the Ministry is aware of the industry practice of overbooking seats in a flight followed by all airlines operating in domestic routes, if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Ministry has a plan to implement the recommendations of National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission to formulate a rational policy to prevent harassment of passengers left out from over-booked flights, if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has any records of punitive action taken against airlines that have not compensated flyers for denying boarding in cases of overbooking as well as for flight delays and cancellations, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(e) whether the Government acknowledges that the cancellation and refund rules associated with the domestic air travel is more airline operator friendly than consumer friendly in the country and if so, the reasons therefor along with any proposal of the Government to establish a balance between the rights of the two groups; and

(f) the action taken by the Government in this regard?

The Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION
(Shri Jayant Sinha)

(a): Airline wise details, in respect of number of complaints received by them and their redressal status, submitted to Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) by the scheduled domestic airlines, as a part of domestic traffic report for the year 2015, 2016 & 2017 (up to November) is placed at Annexure -I. The details in respect of complaints registered on AirSewa portal (since its launch on 25.11.2016) against domestic air travel operators, is placed at Annexure-II.;
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(b) to (d): Overbooking of seats in a flight by the airlines is a common practice followed by the airlines globally.;
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However, DGCA has issued Civil Aviation Requirement(CAR) Section -3, Series -M, Part-IV titled "Facilities to be provided to passengers by airlines due to denied boarding, cancellation of flights and delays in flights", to ensure appropriate protection for the air travelers in case of flight disruptions and, in particular, denied boardings, flight cancellations and delays without due notice to the passengers booked on the flight(s) and to raise the standards of protection both to strengthen the rights of the passengers and to ensure that the airlines operate under harmonized conditions.
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Under the provision of this CAR, when the number of passengers, who have been given confirmed bookings for travel on the flight and who have reported for the flight well within the specified time ahead of the departure of the flight, are more than the number of seats available, an airline must first ask for volunteers to give up their seats so as to make seats available for other booked passengers to travel on the flight.;
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If the boarding is denied to any passengers against their will, the airline shall not be liable for any compensation in case alternate flight is arranged that is scheduled to depart within one hour of the original schedule departure time of the initial reservation.;
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Failing to do so, the airline shall compensate the passengers as per the following provisions:;
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---Amount varying from INR 10,000 to 20,000, in case airline arranges alternate flight;
---In case passenger does not opt for alternate flight, refund of full value of ticket & max. amount upto INR 20,000;
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Airlines are giving compensation to the passenger affected due to denied boarding delays, cancellations and submitting compliance to DGCA under the provisions of CAR Section -3, Series M, Part-IV titled "Facilities to be provided to passengers by airlines due to denied boarding, cancellation of flights and delays in flights". Details of number of passenger affected and compensation provided by the airlines, during the year 2017 (up to November) is at Annexure-III.;
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(e) & (f): To save the interest of the consumers, DGCA has issued the following passenger centric Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) under Sevtion -3- Air Transport to address the issues of refund and flight disruptions and in particular, denied boardings, flight cancellations and delays:;
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--- Series-M, Part-II titled "Refund of Airline Tickets to passengers of Public Transport Undertakings";
---Section-3, Series-M, Part-IV titled "Facilities to be provided to passengers by airlines due to denied boarding, cancellation of flights and delays in flights" to ensure appropriate protection for the air travelers in case of flight disruptions and in particular, denied boardings, flight cancellations and delays.