Airlines will have to shell out massive compensation for delaying flights, refusing boarding to passengers

Here is some good news for flyers. If you flight gets delayed for more than two hours or gets cancelled, the airlines will have to shell out a heavy compensation. Not only this, if airlines refuse you to board the flight, it will again have to compensate for it.

As per the new regulations by the DGCA, an airline will have to pay up to Rs 10,000 to a flier in the case of cancelling/delaying a flight beyond two hours, and Rs 20, 000 for not allowing a passenger to board the flight.

Presently, the airlines compensate a paltry amount of Rs 4, 000 for both. The new rules will be applicable from August 01.

However, flyers’ body Air Passengers Association of India (APAI) founder and president D Sudhakara Reddy said some matters are still to be addressed.

Airlines shall pay a compensation of Rs 5,000 or booked one-way basic fare plus fuel charge, whichever is less for cancelled/ delayed flights having a block time of up to one hour in addition to refund of ticket, in case a flier has not been informed by the carrier as per the DGCA norms.

In the case of an airline cancelling/delaying its flight over one hour but up to two hours the compensation amount will be Rs 7,500 or booked one-way basic fare plus fuel charge, whichever is less, besides the refund amount, according to the revised norms.

An amount of Rs 10,000 or booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, whichever is less, will be the compensation for flights having a block time of more than two hours, according to the new compensation norms.

Block hours refer to the period when an aircraft pushes back from its departure gate till the moment it reaches the arrival gate. These hours are used to calculate an airline s on-time performance (OTP) besides determining the compensation in the eventuality of a flight getting cancelled or delayed.

In case of denied boarding, airline will have to pay an amount equal to 200 per cent of booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, subject to maximum of Rs 20,000, in case airline arranges alternate flight that is scheduled to depart within 24 hours of the booked scheduled departure, as per the revised norms.