Airlines to be penalized for not compensating offloaded passengers

New Delhi: Airlines will be penalised for delaying compensation to passengers denied boarding due to over-booking or flight cancellation, a top official has said.
"We are watching the issue very closely. In the next two months, you can expect action against airline operators if they continue to violate norms and harass passengers," said Kanu Gohain, director general of civil aviation, in an interview with IANS.
"We were flooded with complaints from passengers. So, we had framed the guidelines to discipline the airlines and offer some respite to them," Gohain said, referring to the move initiated in May.
"The airlines will have to comply," he said.
In May, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the industry regulator, had drafted a policy to empower passengers under which a slab-based compensation was stipulated. Airlines have to follow this in case of long delays, flight cancellations or denied boarding.
The norms require all scheduled and non-scheduled carriers to refund the ticket cost immediately.
This apart, the compensation was also set at Rs.5,000 for sectors shorter than 1,500 km, Rs.8,000 for up to 3,500 km, and Rs.12,000 for flights longer than 3,500 km and for all international destinations.
15/09/08 IANS/Economic Times

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Sep 2008