Code soon for offloading air passengers

For passengers with confirmed bookings and unable to board flights due to overbooking, there could be good news if the directorate-general of civil aviation (DGCA) overcomes resistance from carriers and issues guidelines for their code of conduct with their customers so offloaded.
Draft guidelines on overbooking require domestic airlines to not only pay a compensation to an offloaded passenger but also arrange for his stay, food and telephone in the boarding city until he reaches the destination airport.
It will be mandatory for airlines to take care of a passenger holding a confirmed ticket on a flight but not allowed to board for lack of seats.
“The guidelines have been drafted and put up for internal discussion within DGCA and the civil aviation ministry. DGCA will put them on its website to get the industry’s reaction. The final draft should be out by the end of May,” a ministry official told Financial Chronicle.
Director-general Nasim Zaidi, confirming the move, said, “We are working with the ministry and airlines. We will discuss the economic impact on carriers before effecting the plan. In the meantime, a proposal has gone to the ministry. Once it clears it, we will take it forward with the carriers.”.
Only full-service carriers such as Jet Airways, Kingfisher and Air India overbook by between 5 and 10 per cent, depending on the route and flight timings, mainly to avoid seats going empty because of passenger no-shows.
15/04/10 Parul Chhaparia/mydigitalfc.com

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Apr 2010, New Apr 2010