Lockdown fallout: Govt intervention offers little respite for frustrated flyers

The government has offered little respite to frustrated customers whose flights have been cancelled during the national lockdown. Senior officials of the ministry of civil aviation (MoCA) met heads of domestic private airlines on Wednesday to discuss refunds for cancelled flights. Following this, the MoCA issued an advisory asking airlines to issue refunds within three weeks to only those customers who booked tickets during the initial lockdown for travel within the period when flights remained suspended.

If a customer seeks refunds for tickets booked during the first lockdown (March 25-April 14) for domestic and international travel between March 25 and May 3, “the airline shall refund the full amount collected without levy of cancellation charge. The refund shall be made within a period of three weeks from the date of request of cancellation,” MoCA said.