SC TO DGCA: FORM NEW GUIDELINES ON REFUNDS FOR FLIGHT DELAYS

NEWDELHI: If an airline can shut its doors for passengers who get late even by a minute, why shouldn’t a customer get compensated if a flight gets delayed by an hour?

The Supreme Court has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to examine the question and come out with a policy for domestic carriers to stop “harassment” of passengers who are left high and dry in case of a flight delay.

At present, DGCA rules make it mandatory for an airline to refund passenger money if the flight gets late by nine hours.

A bench headed by justice MB Lokur asked DGCA to look at the policy again and formulate a new one. “Something needs to be done. Passengers are being harassed,” the bench said.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Nanita Sharma, who said there should be new guidelines because the current ones heavily favoured airlines.

Sharma has dragged GoAir to the top court and demanded compensation from the airline for being left stranded at the Mumbai airport in 2007 after her flight got delayed by four hours.

GoAir counsel, senior advocate Sanjeev Sen, told the bench that since Sharma’s plea amounted to re-formulating the policy, the DGCA should invite all companies and hold discussions before finalising rules.

Sharma has questioned the clauses in the policy that do not obligate an airline to pay in cases of cancellations and delays due to extraordinary circumstances, beyond the airline’s control.