Airlines must reimburse tickets booked before the Covid-19 blockade to travel until May 24, the Supreme Court ordered on Thursday, approving the formulation drafted by the civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation to deal with refunds. of tickets canceled due to restrictions. imposed due to the blockade that began on March 25 of this year.
Airlines will also have the option to create a credit deposit in the passenger’s name that can be used to travel on any route before March 31, 2021.
The credit shell will be transferable and interest will accrue on the money in the credit shell: 0.5 percent from the date of cancellation until June 30 and then 0.75 percent until March 31, 2021, it ruled a tribunal of three judges of the superior court.
The bench of judges Ashok Bhushan, RS Reddy and MR Shah said that tickets booked through travel agencies will be reimbursed through travel agencies.
The DGCA had already issued a notification on April 16 ordering the immediate refund of tickets reserved during the closing (from March 25 to April 14). This order remains intact.
The higher court order came in the wake of a petition from Pravasi Legal Cell and Air Passengers Association, which demanded a refund for tickets booked before closing.
During the hearings, the government endorsed transferable refund vouchers to be given to passengers in lieu of reserved tickets for canceled flights.
Vistara and AirAsia had opposed the government’s proposal, made during a Supreme Court hearing on a petition seeking a full refund, saying that most customers prefer credit deposits. IndiGo said they have fully refunded the reservation amount. GoAir had alleged that many airlines are on the brink of collapse and could close if the situation does not improve.
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