DGCA Passenger Rights in India 2026 — Delays, Cancellations and Denied Boarding Compensation Explained
By Ishaani Reddy (Ishaani Reddy writes about the consumer-protection side of travel — DGCA passenger rights, OTA refund policies, hidden fees, dynamic-currency-conversion traps and the seven kinds of booking mistakes that quietly drain Indian travel budgets.) · Published · 11 min read
DGCA's Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) Section 3 Series M Part IV gives Indian air travellers specific monetary rights when flights are delayed, cancelled or oversold. Here is the full 2026 picture of what you can claim and how to claim it.
What the DGCA CAR actually covers and who it protects
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation issued its Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) Section 3 Series M Part IV to spell out the passenger compensation framework that every scheduled Indian airline must follow. It applies to all scheduled commercial flights operated by Indian carriers, plus foreign carriers operating to and from Indian airports. The regulation defines exactly what compensation, refunds, meals and hotel accommodation an airline must provide when it disrupts your journey through its own fault.
The CAR distinguishes between three broad disruption categories — flight delay, flight cancellation and denied boarding due to overbooking. Each category has its own compensation slab tied to flight duration or sector length. The compensation is in rupees, not vouchers or miles, although airlines may offer vouchers as an alternative that you can accept or refuse. Critically, the rules apply when the disruption is within the airline's control. Weather, ATC restrictions, political disturbances and other extraordinary circumstances suspend the compensation duty, though airlines must still provide care like meals and hotel accommodation in many cases.
Most Indian passengers never claim these rights because they do not know the slabs exist or because airline ground staff routinely deflect claims at the airport. This guide walks through the exact entitlement in each scenario, the documentary evidence you should gather, and the escalation path through airsewa.gov.in and the National Consumer Helpline (1915) when the airline does not pay.
Flight delay — what you get and when
For a flight delay, the airline must provide facilities free of charge based on the length of the delay and the sector. For delays of 2 hours or more on flights of block-time up to 2.5 hours, the airline must provide meals and refreshments. For delays of 3 hours or more on flights of block-time between 2.5 and 5 hours, the same applies. For delays of 4 hours or more on longer flights, again meals and refreshments are due. When a delay extends overnight or the next departure is at least 6 hours later, hotel accommodation and ground transport between airport and hotel must be provided.
If the delay exceeds 6 hours and is announced more than 24 hours before the scheduled departure, the airline must offer a re-booking on the next available flight or a full refund at the passenger's option. If the rebooking is more than 6 hours later than the originally booked flight, again the choice between rebooking and refund applies. Crucially, the airline cannot force a voucher or credit shell as substitute for a cash refund if you choose refund — the refund must be processed to the original mode of payment within 7 working days for credit card and 30 days for cash payments.
The practical reality at Indian airports is that meal vouchers of 200 to 400 rupees are routinely handed out, but hotel arrangements often require persistent escalation to a station manager. Always keep your boarding pass, the delay announcement screenshot and any expense receipts. If the airline refuses care, pay yourself and claim reimbursement through the airline's grievance portal, then escalate to AirSewa within 3 months.
Flight cancellation — the compensation slabs in rupees
When a scheduled flight is cancelled by the airline for reasons within its control, two parallel rights kick in. First, the airline must either rebook you on the next available flight on its own services or on another carrier (at no extra cost), or refund the full ticket price within 7 to 30 days depending on payment mode. Second, monetary compensation is payable in addition to the refund or rebooking, unless the cancellation was notified at least 2 weeks before the scheduled departure.
The compensation slabs under CAR Section 3 Series M Part IV are: for flights with block-time up to 1 hour, compensation is 5,000 rupees or the booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, whichever is less. For flights with block-time between 1 and 2 hours, the compensation is 7,500 rupees or the booked fare, whichever is less. For flights with block-time over 2 hours, the compensation is 10,000 rupees or the booked fare, whichever is less. These amounts are payable in addition to the ticket refund or alternate flight, and the airline must also provide meals and refreshments during the wait.
If the cancellation is notified between 24 hours and 2 weeks before scheduled departure, only the refund or rebooking obligation applies — no separate monetary compensation. If the cancellation is notified less than 24 hours before, the full compensation slab applies. The airline must communicate the cancellation through SMS, email and the contact details provided at booking. If they fail to communicate and you reach the airport, you can also claim out-of-pocket expenses to and from the airport in many cases through the consumer forum route.
Denied boarding — the involuntary bumping rights
Denied boarding happens when the airline has accepted more bookings than there are seats on the aircraft (overbooking), or when the aircraft change reduces capacity, or when operational issues force the airline to offload passengers. Under CAR Section 3 Series M Part IV, if you have a confirmed ticket, have reported on time and have been denied boarding because of the airline's overbooking or capacity shortage, you are entitled to specific monetary compensation in addition to alternate flight or refund.
The compensation slabs for involuntary denied boarding are tied to the delay in your eventual departure. If the airline arranges an alternate flight that takes off within 1 hour of the original scheduled departure, no compensation is due. If the alternate is between 1 and 24 hours later (on domestic) or 1 and 12 hours (on international), compensation is 200 percent of the booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, subject to a maximum of 10,000 rupees. If the alternate is delayed by more than 24 hours on domestic or 12 hours on international, compensation rises to 400 percent of the booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, subject to a maximum of 20,000 rupees.
Before involuntary bumping, the airline must first call for volunteers willing to give up their seats in return for benefits the airline negotiates. Volunteer denied boarding falls outside the compensation framework — whatever you accept (vouchers, hotel, free hotel and rebooking) is contractual between you and the airline. If you are involuntarily bumped, the compensation is mandatory and the airline must pay within the same airport or by bank transfer within 7 working days. Refusal of cash compensation in favour of a voucher is your choice, never the airline's choice.
When the airline owes you nothing — extraordinary circumstances
The CAR carves out a category of disruptions where the airline is freed from the monetary compensation duty even though the disruption is real and painful. These extraordinary circumstances include adverse weather (CAT II low visibility procedures, monsoon-related closures, fog), air traffic control restrictions (slot delays, runway closures), political instability, security alerts, strikes outside the airline's direct workforce, natural disasters, and government orders that affect aviation operations.
The airline must still provide care in many of these cases — meals, refreshments, hotel accommodation when delays extend overnight — and must still offer rebooking or refund at the passenger's choice. What is suspended is the additional monetary compensation slab. The distinction matters in practice because airlines sometimes invoke extraordinary circumstances loosely to deny compensation when the underlying cause was actually a technical fault, crew duty hour expiry or a missed slot due to airline scheduling. If the airline tells you the delay is weather-related, ask for documented confirmation, check the same airport's other flights at the same time, and check live ATC and weather data.
Aircraft technical faults are a grey area. The general principle from international precedent is that technical faults arising from the airline's own maintenance programme are within its control, while technical faults from manufacturer-issued safety airworthiness directives are extraordinary. In India, technical fault disputes typically end up in consumer forums and the determination is case-by-case. Always ask the airline for the specific reason code, not just a generic explanation, and document what you are told.
How to file the AirSewa complaint and what gets resolved
The Ministry of Civil Aviation runs the AirSewa portal at airsewa.gov.in as the official grievance redressal channel for Indian aviation. Any passenger complaint about an airline, an airport operator, a security agency or a ground handler can be filed online with documentation. Each complaint gets a tracking number and is routed to the concerned airline or agency for response within a stipulated timeline, typically 7 to 21 days depending on category.
Before filing AirSewa, you must first raise the complaint with the airline through its own grievance channel — typically a web form or a dedicated email. The airline has up to 30 days to respond. If the response is unsatisfactory or there is no response, you escalate to AirSewa with the airline reference number, the original ticket details, the boarding pass if available, supporting receipts and a clear narrative of what happened and what you want as resolution. The system tracks the airline's response and gives DGCA visibility into pattern complaints.
AirSewa works well for clear-cut cases where the CAR provisions are obviously violated — refund delays beyond the 7 or 30 day window, refused compensation for documented cancellations, baggage compensation disputes within published limits. It works less well for borderline cases involving extraordinary circumstances or service quality complaints. For those, the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 (call) or ncphelpline.gov.in (online) is often the next step before going to a consumer forum. See our companion guide on filing AirSewa complaints in 2026 for the full process.
Baggage compensation rules and the Montreal Convention overlay
Baggage rights in India operate under two frameworks. For domestic flights, the DGCA CAR sets liability limits and the airline's own conditions of carriage govern the day-to-day rules. For international flights, the Montreal Convention 1999 applies to most journeys and sets a global liability cap measured in Special Drawing Rights (SDR), which converts to roughly 1,55,000 rupees per passenger as of 2026 for damaged, lost or delayed checked baggage.
For domestic flights, airlines are generally liable up to 20,000 rupees per passenger for lost or damaged checked baggage and up to 350 rupees per kilogram for short-paid claims, subject to the airline's specific conditions. For high-value items (jewellery, electronics, cash, prescription medicines), the airline's liability is typically excluded unless you declared the value at check-in and paid an excess valuation fee. This is why valuables should travel in your cabin baggage, never in checked.
When baggage arrives delayed, the airline must reimburse reasonable interim expenses for essential items — typically a per diem allowance of 1,000 to 2,500 rupees per day per passenger, with the cap depending on the airline and the destination. Always file the Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at the airport before leaving the baggage hall — without it the claim is extremely hard to pursue. Keep all receipts for replacement essentials and submit them within the airline's specified window (usually 21 days). For international baggage, the Montreal Convention claim must be filed within 7 days for damage and within 21 days for delay.
Refund timelines — the 7-day rule and what to do if breached
The CAR is explicit on refund timelines. For tickets paid by credit card, the refund must be credited to the original card within 7 working days from the date of refund initiation by the airline. For tickets paid by debit card, UPI or net banking, the timeline is also 7 working days in most cases. For cash payments at a counter or agent, the refund window extends to 30 days. The clock starts from the date the airline initiates the refund, not from the date of cancellation, which is why getting written confirmation that refund has been initiated is critical.
If you booked through an Online Travel Agent (OTA) like MakeMyTrip, Yatra, Cleartrip, ixigo or EaseMyTrip, an additional 3 to 7 day window may apply for the OTA to pass through the refund from the airline. This is often the source of refund disputes. The airline tells you the refund was initiated to the OTA, the OTA tells you they have not received it yet. Always demand the airline's refund reference number (ARN or transaction ID) and pass it back to the OTA. With the ARN, the OTA cannot legitimately claim non-receipt for long.
When refund timelines are breached, document the breach with dates, escalate first to the airline's own grievance team, then to AirSewa with the breach documented, and consider a consumer forum if the amount is substantial and the airline still does not refund. Interest at 8 to 12 percent per annum on the delayed refund is routinely awarded by consumer forums for clear-cut breaches. See our consumer court for travel disputes guide for the full procedural detail.
What you should carry to every Indian airport in case of disruption
Practical preparation makes the difference between successfully claiming compensation and going home empty-handed. Always carry a printed boarding pass even if you have it on your phone — the printout is what airlines accept as the primary evidence when filling out compensation forms at the airport. Keep a clear photograph of the original booking confirmation showing fare class, sector, scheduled times and total amount paid. Keep the credit card statement reference for the payment.
When disruption hits, immediately do four things. First, take a screenshot or photograph of the flight information display showing the delay or cancellation status with the timestamp visible. Second, ask the airline ground staff for written confirmation of the reason for the disruption, ideally on letterhead or with a stamp. Third, ask for the compensation form to be issued at the airport itself — most airlines have a standard format for this and ground staff are trained to fill it out. Fourth, collect all expense receipts from the moment of disruption forward, however small.
If the airline staff are uncooperative or claim ignorance of the CAR provisions, ask politely but firmly for the station manager. The station manager is empowered to authorise compensation, hotel and ground transport on the spot. If even the station manager refuses, do not argue at the airport — document what was said, leave, and pursue the claim through the airline's grievance portal and AirSewa with full documentation. Indian consumer forums have been consistently supportive of passenger claims that are well-documented.
Frequently asked questions
Is the DGCA compensation paid in cash or as a voucher?
The compensation under CAR Section 3 Series M Part IV must be paid as cash or bank transfer in rupees to the passenger. Airlines may offer a voucher as an alternative, but it is the passenger's choice whether to accept the voucher or insist on cash. Many passengers accept the voucher because it is offered up-front at the airport, but you are within your rights to refuse the voucher and demand cash transfer, which must be paid within 7 working days.
What is the maximum compensation for a domestic flight cancellation in India?
Under CAR Section 3 Series M Part IV, the maximum monetary compensation for a domestic flight cancellation by the airline within its control is 10,000 rupees or the booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, whichever is less. This is payable in addition to the full ticket refund or rebooking on the next available flight. The compensation only applies if the cancellation is notified less than 24 hours before scheduled departure or after the cancellation occurs without any prior notification.
Can I claim compensation if my flight is cancelled due to bad weather?
No, weather-related cancellations are considered extraordinary circumstances under the CAR and the airline is exempted from the monetary compensation slab. However, the airline must still offer you a full refund or rebooking on the next available flight, and must provide meals, refreshments and hotel accommodation if the delay extends overnight. Always ask for documented confirmation that the cancellation was weather-related, since airlines sometimes invoke extraordinary circumstances loosely.
How long do I have to file an AirSewa complaint after a disruption?
AirSewa accepts complaints filed within 3 months of the date of incident, though earlier is always better. You must first raise the complaint with the airline directly and wait for the airline's response (typically 30 days), then escalate to AirSewa with the airline reference number and supporting documents. The portal tracks each complaint with a unique ID and the airline is required to respond within the stipulated timeline.
What proof do I need to claim baggage delay compensation?
You need three things. First, the Property Irregularity Report (PIR) issued at the airport before you left the baggage hall — without this, the claim is extremely hard to pursue. Second, your boarding pass and baggage tag receipt showing the bag was checked in. Third, original receipts for the essential interim purchases you made (clothing, toiletries, charger) while waiting for the bag. Submit the claim within 21 days for international flights under the Montreal Convention.
If my flight is overbooked and I am bumped, what is the airline required to pay?
If you have a confirmed ticket and are involuntarily bumped due to airline overbooking, the compensation depends on the delay to your eventual departure. If alternate flight is within 1 hour of the original, no compensation. If alternate is 1 to 24 hours later (domestic) or 1 to 12 hours (international), 200 percent of one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, capped at 10,000 rupees. If alternate is over 24 hours (domestic) or 12 hours (international), 400 percent of fare plus fuel charge, capped at 20,000 rupees.
Does CAR Section 3 Series M Part IV apply to foreign airlines flying to and from India?
Yes, foreign carriers operating scheduled commercial flights to and from Indian airports are required to comply with the same CAR provisions for the India-leg of the journey. For passengers connecting onward on the same airline, the international Montreal Convention regime typically governs the connecting leg. In practice, foreign airlines have generally been compliant with the CAR at Indian airports because non-compliance can affect their operating permits.
Can I claim compensation through the National Consumer Helpline at 1915?
The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) at 1915 (call) or ncphelpline.gov.in (online) is a parallel channel that can help in airline disputes alongside AirSewa. NCH does not adjudicate claims but it facilitates communication between the consumer and the company, often resulting in faster resolution because companies are required to respond to NCH-routed complaints. For DGCA-specific issues, AirSewa is more direct; for general service complaints or refund delays involving OTAs, NCH at 1915 is often more effective.