Delhi HC directs DGCA to constitute appellate committee handling appeal of “unruly” air passengers
The counsel for the DGCA submitted that the committee was there earlier. It got dissolved after the chairperson resigned on February 9, 2023.
Aggrieved air passengers can now lodge their grievances through the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS), an online portal administered by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) and AirSewa Portal managed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
”These grievances are taken up with the concerned airlines for redressal. If the petitioner is not satisfied with the resolution of the grievance by the airline, he/she has the option to file an appeal. The disposal of grievances is monitored at various levels. Every airline appoints a nodal officer and an appellate authority and displays their contact details on their respective websites,” Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply.
Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) Section 3 Air Transport Series M, Part II namely Refund of Airline Tickets to Passengers of Public Transport Undertakings states that in case of purchase of a ticket through a travel agent/portal, the onus of refund shall lie with the airlines as agents are their appointed representatives. The airlines shall ensure that the refund process is completed within 30 working days. Such grievances are also taken up with the airlines for resolution, he said.
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The government is proactively supporting the aviation sector by providing a stable policy environment and incentivising competition-led growth. In 2016, the government released the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP 2016), Singh said in another reply.
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