The Center also said that the air passenger can use the credit on any route of their choice (Representational)
New Delhi:
Passengers should receive a full refund for air tickets booked during the coronavirus lockdown, the government told the Supreme Court on Saturday, adding that if airlines are unable to pay, passengers will get credit until March 31 next year.
This applies to domestic and international tickets booked between March 25 and May 3 of this year and must be refunded immediately.
This comes after the high court asked the center for opinions on a PIL seeking full refund of airline tickets booked during closing.
The center also said that the passenger can use the credit on any route they choose and should also be able to transfer it to anyone.
“The passenger can transfer the credit shell to anyone, and the airlines will honor such transfer. The airlines will design a mechanism to facilitate such transfer. At the end of March 2021, the airlines will refund the cash to the credit shell holder.” the government told the Supreme Court.
The General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in its affidavit filed in the high court on Saturday said that the reimbursement should be initiated as the airlines were not supposed to book tickets during the first blackout period.
“There will be an incentive mechanism to compensate the passenger if there is a delay in the consumption of the credit shell, from the date of cancellation until June 30, 2020. The value of the credit shell will be increased by 0.5 % of the face value (the amount of the fee charged) for each month or part of it between the cancellation date and June 30, 2020. Thereafter, the value of the credit shell will be increased by 0, 75% of the face value per month, until March 2021, “the DGCA said in its affidavit.
Pravasi Legal Cell, an NGO, had gone to the Supreme Court to obtain a full refund of tickets reserved during the closing.
The higher court during the hearing suggested that a credit facility should be granted to passengers for two years.
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