- By Shubham Bajpai
- Sun, 07 Dec 2025 10:37 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
IndiGo’s operational fiasco for the last six days has left thousands of passengers stranded. The effect of IndiGo’s operational collapse directly affected the operations at the airports which in turn affected the flights of other airlines also.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA, has established clear rules for cancellation and delays for the passenger convenience. Under these rules, passengers receive a full refund, compensation, and, in case of long waits, facilities like food, hotel accommodation, and transportation.
What do passengers get if flight is cancelled?
According to DGCA, if the airline cancels the flight, it is mandatory to give full refund.
-If the airline informs about the cancellation at least 2 weeks in advance, the passenger can choose between a refund or another flight.
-If the airline informs less than 2 weeks but more than 24 hours in advance, the passenger can still choose a refund or another flight.
-If the airline does not provide timely information or another connecting flight is missed on the same ticket, compensation and refund/alternate flight will be given as per the travel time.
How much compensation is received?
-Flight up to 1 hour: Rs 5000
-Up to 2 hours: Rs 7500
-More than 2 hours: Rs 10,000
-The airline may choose to pay the base fare and fuel charges instead of this amount.
-No compensation if the passenger does not provide their contact details or the cancellation was due to circumstances beyond the airline's control (such as weather, security reasons)
DGCA rules for flight delays
If the flight is delayed and passengers have checked in on time, the airline will have to provide basic facilities like food and drinks to the waiting passengers.
These provisions become essential after this time:
-Short Route: 2 hours
-Medium Route: 3 hours
-Long route: 4 hours
If a domestic flight is delayed by more than 6 hours, the airline will have to either provide an alternative flight within 6 hours or a full refund.
What happens if there is a long delay?
If the delay is more than 6 hours or if the night flight (8 PM - 3 AM) is delayed for more than 24 hours, the airline will have to provide hotel stay and transportation for the airport to the passenger.
But there is an exemption to this rule as well. If the reason for the delay is beyond the airline's control (Weather, political unrest, natural disaster, etc), no facilities will be provided.