SC accepts DGCA scheme for refund for air tickets booked during lockdown

Today, the Supreme court accepted the recommendations made by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) regarding refund of air tickets booked during lockdown due to COVID-19.

 A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Justice Subhash Reddy and MR Shah said that the petitions would be disposed of in the context of DGCA proposals and the vouchers of tickets issued by travel agents would be used by travel agents when the chains were affected.

This means that tickets booked by travelers through travel agents will be returned to travel agents and not directly through passengers.

On 25 September, the apex court reserved orders relating to refund of air fares for booking tickets during the COVID-19 lockdown.

 The petition has been filed by the Migrant Legal Cell on behalf of advocate Jose Abraham and highlights that the non-refund of the entire amount collected for tickets due to cancellation is arbitrary and civil aviation civil aviation is in violation of the requirement issued by the Directorate General.

 Further, the petitioner stated that the airlines’ action to mandate a “credit shell”, instead of providing a full refund of the funds collected, is in clear violation of the requirements of the DGCA, according to which the option of refund is “passenger’s privilege” and the airline is not the default trend.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had informed the apex court that the credit shell cannot be availed by the travel agents who had booked the tickets during the lockdown.

By Priya Kumari