No cancellation fee on tickets cancelled within 24 hours of booking: Aviation ministry

In a big relief for air passengers, the aviation ministry has proposed lock-in period of 24 hours from cancellation charges. However, this will only be applicable if the journey is at least 96 hours later.

This has been proposed in the draft Air Passenger Charter which has been put in public domain on Tuesday for public comments.

"If a flight is cancelled and it is the airlines' fault, then the passenger has to be compensated or ticket has to be refunded. The passenger will be compensated in various ways," Civil Aviation minister Jayant Sinha was quoted as saying by ANI.

The minister said that cancellation charges should not be higher than the base fare plus fuel charge.

The proposed regulation states that when a flight is delayed, passengers will be compensated.

Sinha has also added special provisions for flyers with special needs. Airlines reserving seats for disabled passengers are among various other proposals listed in the draft.

Here are the highlight

• Cancellation charges shouldn't be higher that the airline's base fare and fuel charges.
• Special provision for passengers with special needs on aircrafts.
• If the airline is found at fault for some inconvenience, the passengers can seek full refund.
• Aadhaar is not mandatory for digiyatra identification.
• Airlines to offer 24 hours lock-in period for ticket.
• Passengers should be able to enjoy wifi on board within two months.