Aviation Ministry mandates limited refunds; move to benefit just 1 lakh passengers
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: India’s aviation ministry Thursday mandated airlines to refund tickets cancelled because of the surprise lockdown but only for passengers who booked after March 25 for travel till its last date of May 3.
Although the government mandate benefits a minuscule chunk of air passengers who have been affected by the suspension of flights, senior airline executives told ET they will oppose it as even these limited refunds would worsen their cash strapped condition.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi put the entire nation in a state of lockdown from March 25 to curb the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic. All flights were suspended. The original lockdown period was till April 14 and airlines kept bookings open after that date, irrespective of apprehensions that the lockdown would be extended. The government’s mandate on Thursday benefits those passengers that booked tickets after the lockdown started, it would only last till April 15. The refund is valid for passengers of both international and domestic flights, and has to be processed without charging a cancellation fee within three weeks of a passenger making such a request.
