Flight tickets booked between 25 Mar-3 May will be 'fully refunded': DGCA to Supreme Court

Guwahati: The Supreme Court on Sunday was informed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that tickets booked by passengers in both domestic and international carriers for air travel during the first two phases of lockdown (between March 25 to May 3, 2020), will be "fully refunded."

"Non-refund of air tickets booked during lockdown and creation of involuntary credit shell by airlines is a violation of Civil Aviation Requirements and provisions of the Aircraft Rules of 1937," the DGCA told the apex court yesterday.

This comes after the Supreme Court had issued a notice to Centre and DGCA on a plea seeking a full refund of tickets for flights cancelled amid the coronavirus-triggered lockdown in the country.

Scheduled international passenger flights were suspended in India since 25 March immediately after the pandemic landed on our shores. Domestic flights were allowed to resume from 25 May after a gap of two months.

Meanwhile, the Centre has granted the passenger time till March 31, 2021, to use the credit shell on any route of his/her choice.

However, it said that in all cases the refund by the airlines has to be initiated within 15 days.

A Supreme Court bench on June 12 had asked the Centre and airlines to file a reply on the issue of refunding flight passengers within three weeks.

The apex court's bench had also proposed that airlines should provide a credit shell with a two-year validity against flight bookings that were cancelled during the lockdown.

The top court had directed the civil aviation ministry to schedule a meeting with airlines and devise modalities to make refunds to passengers.

In April, the Central government had asked airlines to refund full fares, without imposing cancellation charges, to those who booked tickets during the first lockdown from 25 March to 14 April for travel between 25 March and 3 May.

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