Airlines will have to refund tickets booked during the COVID-19 lockdown within three weeks without cancellation fees if a customer requests for it, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Thursday.
The directive will apply to all domestic and international tickets booked during the first phase of the nationwide lockdown, that began on March 25 and was extended till May 3 on April 14, for travel between the entire period.
Several consumer groups had raised complaints after most private airlines refused to refund the tickets, offering them options to reschedule instead.
India had banned all international flights from March 22 and domestic ones from March 25 to check the spread of coronavirus in the country.
However, most of the airlines except national carrier Air India had been taking bookings for domestic flights for the period beyond the first phase of the lockdown on April 14.
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of lockdown till May 3, the DGCA issued a circular stating all international as well as domestic flights will remain suspended during the lockdown.
Private airlines, however, said they will not refund the tickets already booked and will offer free rescheduling but will charge customers for the fare difference, if any, at the time of re-booking.
