Civil aviation body issues guidelines to airlines over excessive flight delays, cancellations

Amidst growing outrage over excessive flight delays and cancellations, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Monday issued guidelines to the Indian airlines on how to deal with these issues.

The civil aviation body has mandated that air carriers provide appropriate facilities to passengers due to denied boarding, cancellation of flights, and delays.

The airlines were also asked to publish real-time information about fog-related disruptions on their websites and alert passengers through SMS or WhatsApp, and email.

"In view of the prevalent fog season and adverse weather conditions, airlines may cancel, sufficiently in advance, such flights that are anticipated to be delayed or consequentially delayed on account of such conditions beyond a period of 3 hours with a view to obviate congestion at the airport and mitigate passenger inconvenience," DGCA said.

The Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) was issued to ensure appropriate protection for air travellers in case of flight disruptions and, in particular, denied boardings, flight cancellations and delays without due notice to the passengers booked on the flight(s).

"It is, accordingly, obligatory on the part of all airlines to mandatorily adhere to the provisions of the above CAR.

"However, in case of Force Majeure events i.e. extraordinary circumstances beyond the control of the airline, the provisions of the above CAR are not applicable," the release said. PTI

The development comes in the wake of a passenger attacking an IndiGo pilot over 13-hour delay.

Earlier in the day, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said all stakeholders are working round-the-clock to minimise fog-related disruptions in flight operations and that DGCA will come out with SOPs to ensure "better communication and facilitation of passengers to minimise discomfort in view of flight cancellations and delays due to adverse weather".