Will IndiGo Provide Rs 10,000 Travel Vouchers to Stranded Passengers from December 26?
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New Delhi, Dec 20 (NationPress) The Indian airline IndiGo is set to begin offering compensation to travelers affected by the recent wave of flight cancellations starting next week.
The airline plans to distribute travel vouchers valued at Rs 10,000 from December 26 for passengers who faced significant distress and were left stranded at airports for extended periods on December 3, 4, and 5, as reported by various sources.
These vouchers are in addition to the compensation ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 required by government regulations. This decision came during a high-level review led by Aviation Secretary Samir Sinha, with the government urging IndiGo to ensure that payments reach all eligible passengers without delay.
The meeting determined that payments should commence within a week for passengers who booked directly through IndiGo’s website, as their information is readily accessible.
IndiGo has been instructed to gather passenger information from travel agents and online travel platforms to facilitate direct compensation to those affected. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will oversee the effective distribution of compensation, while the civil aviation ministry will track the process via its Air Seva grievance portal.
While IndiGo has started processing refunds for canceled flights, several passengers who booked through Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) are still awaiting payment, highlighting coordination issues between airlines and booking platforms, the reports noted.
Reportedly, MakeMyTrip has already processed refunds amounting to nearly Rs 10 crore following directives from the DGCA, even prior to receiving funds from IndiGo.
Earlier, IndiGo Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta mentioned that the airline’s Board will enlist outside technical experts to collaborate with management in identifying the underlying causes of the recent extensive flight disruptions.
He assured that these experts would help prevent such large-scale operational failures in the future.
In the meantime, the company confirmed that all destinations within its network have been fully connected since December 8, and operations have stabilized since December 9.