Centre Rules Out Automatic Compensation for Flight Delays; 20 Lakh Affected in 2025

The Government of India has stated that it is not considering any mechanism for automatic compensation to passengers affected by flight delays or cancellations, even as new data reveals that nearly 20 lakh travellers faced disruptions due to delays in 2025 alone.

The response was given in the Rajya Sabha by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol in reply to a question from MP Surendra Singh Nagar. The MP had asked whether the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was exploring a system to automatically pay compensation based on airlines' on-time performance, without requiring passengers to file individual complaints.

In his written reply, Minister Mohol said, “DGCA has issued CAR Section 3, Series M, Part IV titled 'Facilities to be provided to passengers by airlines due to denied boarding, cancellation of flights and delays in flights' to reduce inconvenience. At present, no such mechanism for automatic payment of compensation based on on-time performance is under consideration of DGCA.”

The minister also shared detailed data on passenger complaints, numbers of affected travellers, and the amounts spent by domestic airlines on facilitation and compensation. According to the data, 19.6 lakh passengers were affected by flight delays in 2025, with airlines spending Rs 21.46 crore towards facilitation and compensation. This was lower than the 26.75 lakh passengers affected in 2024, but still significantly higher than the 22.51 lakh passengers impacted in 2023.

Flight cancellations showed a sharper worsening trend. The number of affected passengers rose from 3.12 lakh in 2023 to 6.71 lakh in 2024, and then more than doubled to 14.6 lakh in 2025. Correspondingly, airlines' expenditure on facilitation and compensation for cancellations climbed to Rs 29.7 crore in 2025 from Rs 11.6 crore in 2024 and Rs 9.89 crore in 2023.

Passengers affected by denied boarding, however, declined from 18,746 in 2024 to 13,603 in 2025, although the figure remained higher than the 12,278 recorded in 2023. Airlines spent Rs 11.3 crore on facilitation and compensation for such cases during 2025.

The parliamentary reply also highlighted a steady rise in passenger complaints related to flight delays. Complaints received through the AirSewa portal increased from 2,544 in 2023 to 4,590 in 2024, and further to 6,335 in 2025 — a rise of nearly 150 per cent over two years. The government said all 13,469 complaints received under this category during the three years have been resolved.

Complaints relating to check-in and boarding stood at 1,510 in 2023, rose to 1,969 in 2024, and eased slightly to 1,859 in 2025, with all 5,338 complaints resolved. Ticketing, fare and refund complaints increased from 4,836 in 2023 to 5,369 in 2024, before almost doubling to 10,804 in 2025. Of the 21,009 complaints received under this category over the three years, only four remain pending, according to the government.

The AirSewa portal also received 383 complaints relating specifically to airfare in 2025, all of which have been resolved. The ministry said complaints on the portal are resolved within prescribed timelines.

The existing Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) oblige airlines to provide facilities and compensation to passengers in cases of denied boarding, flight cancellations, and delays. However, passengers are required to actively seek such compensation under the current framework. With the government ruling out an automatic system, affected travellers will continue to have to file individual claims to receive what they are entitled to.