How Long Does a Flight Refund Actually Take in India?

Flight refund timelines in India for 2026: how many days by DGCA rules, working day vs calendar day, and what to do when the money still has not arrived.

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How long does a flight refund take in India? The 7, 14, and 21 working-day tiers explained (2026)

By Aarav Sharma (Aarav Sharma covers Indian airline operations, airport infrastructure and route economics. He writes about Tier-1 and Tier-2 airport developments, IndiGo and Air India fleet strategy, and the unsung Indian aviation hubs travellers should know about.) · Published · 11 min read

DGCA rules set a 7-working-day refund target for airline-initiated cancellations, but OTA refunds can take 14 to 21 working days — which is three to four calendar weeks, not three weeks. Here is how the math works, which tier your cancellation falls into, and when to escalate.

TL;DR — the short answer

For airline-cancelled flights, DGCA passenger rights rules require refunds to be processed within 7 working days. For passenger-initiated cancellations on direct bookings, airlines typically process within 7–10 working days. If you booked through an OTA like MakeMyTrip, Cleartrip or IXIGO, expect 14–21 working days — because the OTA has to receive the money from the airline and then pass it to you. The critical distinction: working days, not calendar days. Seven working days is at minimum 9 calendar days if there are no public holidays, and easily 12–14 if there are. Always start the working-day count from the date the cancellation was confirmed — not the date of the original flight.

What the DGCA rules actually say about refund timelines

DGCA's Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) on passenger rights set out refund obligations for scheduled airlines. The key points as of 2026:

The DGCA passenger charter (available at dgca.gov.in) is the primary reference. Verify the current version since DGCA updates these periodically. The 7-working-day rule has been in place since at least 2019 and was reaffirmed post-COVID.

Working days vs calendar days — the confusion that delays most complaints

This is where most people miscalculate and end up complaining too early or waiting too long. A working day in India excludes:

So 7 working days from a Monday cancellation confirmation = the following Tuesday, assuming no public holidays in between. That is 9 calendar days. If your cancellation falls over a long weekend (Diwali week, for example), 7 working days could easily be 14–16 calendar days.

Practical example: you cancel an Air India flight on a Monday in October during Dussehra week. Between the Monday, the Tuesday national holiday, Saturday and Sunday, you might get 2 actual working days that week. The count then has to run into the next week. Seven working days could be three calendar weeks away.

The start date: count from when the cancellation was confirmed — not when you submitted the request, and not from the flight date. Most airlines send a confirmation email or show a 'cancellation successful' screen with a timestamp. Screenshot that. It is your Day Zero for the working-day count.

Why OTA refunds take longer: the money chain

If you booked through MakeMyTrip, IXIGO, Cleartrip, EaseMyTrip or any other OTA, your refund has to travel through an extra step — and each step introduces a delay:

  1. You cancel with the OTA (or the airline cancels).
  2. OTA files a refund claim with the airline.
  3. Airline processes the refund to the OTA (this alone can take 7–14 working days).
  4. OTA processes the money out to your original payment method.

That is why OTA refund timelines are typically quoted as 14–21 working days — which at the far end is over a month in calendar time. OTAs also have their own processing queues and during peak cancellation events (like a cyclone or a sudden airline schedule disruption), the queue gets long.

Which method gets money back faster? If you booked direct with the airline, the refund chain is short — one entity, one queue. If you used a credit card on an OTA booking, your card's chargeback mechanism can sometimes act as a shortcut (more on this below), though airlines contest chargebacks and it can take 45–90 days to resolve via the bank.

Airline-by-airline: how they each handle it

IndiGo: Online cancellations on goindigo.in are processed within 7 working days to the original payment method for most fare types. Credit shell (where refunded money stays as a travel credit with IndiGo) is faster — sometimes within 24 hours. Refund to original credit/debit card or UPI takes the full 7 working days plus bank processing time (typically 2–5 additional days on the card end).

Air India: Air India's refund processing has improved since the Tata acquisition and the absorption of Vistara's operations into Air India in 2024. Expect 7–14 working days for direct bookings. Business Class fares with complex routing may take longer. Air India Express follows a similar timeline to IndiGo.

Akasa Air: Being a newer airline, Akasa's digital refund flow is reasonably clean. Expect 7–10 working days on direct bookings. As of mid-2026, Akasa is still growing its customer service capacity, so complex cases may take longer.

SpiceJet: SpiceJet has had widely documented refund delays, particularly during its 2024–25 financial difficulties. If you have an outstanding SpiceJet refund from a cancelled flight during that period, you may need to escalate to DGCA — there were hundreds of consumer forum complaints logged. For current bookings, SpiceJet states 7–10 working days but real-world timelines have been variable.

Escalation steps when the refund does not arrive

If the stated timeline has passed (working days, counted correctly) and the money has not landed, here is the escalation ladder:

  1. Check the airline app / OTA app first. Sometimes the refund is processed on the backend but the bank is slow. Log into the airline's website and look for refund status in 'My Bookings'. Most airlines now show a refund tracking screen. OTAs like MakeMyTrip also have a 'Refund Status' section.
  2. Contact airline/OTA customer care. Email is better than calls for creating a paper trail. Attach your cancellation confirmation, the refund request acknowledgement, and a clear statement of the date you started counting. State the DGCA 7-working-day rule explicitly if it is an airline-initiated cancellation.
  3. DGCA AirSewa portal (airsewa.gov.in). DGCA's passenger complaint platform. Airlines are required to respond to AirSewa complaints within 30 days. This is the most effective escalation for airline-cancelled flights where the refund is clearly overdue — airlines do not like open DGCA complaints on their record.
  4. Credit card chargeback. If you paid by credit card and the refund is more than 90 days overdue (some banks allow longer), you can file a chargeback with your card issuer. The bank disputes the charge with the merchant's bank. It takes 45–90 days to resolve but gives you a separate channel. Be aware that airlines sometimes contest chargebacks — keep all documentation.
  5. Consumer forum. For larger amounts or unresponsive airlines, the District Consumer Forum is a real option. Filing is now digital (consumerhelpline.gov.in). Airlines typically settle at mediation.

For more on your rights on the ground, see our article on what happens if you no-show on a flight in India. You can also compare refundable vs non-refundable fare prices on FlightGPT to see if the fare difference is worth the flexibility insurance.

Bottom line

The gap between 'when you expected the money' and 'when it arrives' is almost always explained by the working-day counting error. Count correctly, factor in public holidays, give OTAs their full 21 working days before panicking. When the timeline is genuinely blown, escalate in order: airline/OTA email → AirSewa → chargeback → consumer forum. For airline-cancelled flights especially, DGCA AirSewa is your most powerful lever and it is free to use.

Frequently asked questions

How many days for a flight refund in India per DGCA rules?

DGCA rules require airlines to refund within 7 working days for airline-initiated cancellations. For passenger-initiated cancellations on direct airline bookings, airlines typically process in 7–10 working days. OTA refunds take longer — 14 to 21 working days — because the money has to travel from airline to OTA and then to you. Remember, working days exclude weekends and public holidays.

Why is my IndiGo refund taking more than 10 days?

If you booked through an OTA, count again — OTAs typically take 14–21 working days, not 7. If you booked direct, check whether you started counting from the right date (the cancellation confirmation date, not the flight date). Also factor in bank processing time (2–5 additional days) after IndiGo releases the funds. If the wait exceeds 15 working days on a direct booking, raise a complaint via AirSewa at airsewa.gov.in.

Does the 7-working-day rule apply when the passenger cancels, or only when the airline cancels?

The DGCA's 7-working-day rule is most explicitly stated for airline-initiated cancellations. For passenger-initiated cancellations, DGCA regulations cap the cancellation charges airlines can levy, but the processing timeline is left to the airline's conditions of carriage — typically 7–10 working days. Check the airline's fare conditions before booking to know what their stated timeline is.

Can I get a flight refund if I paid by UPI?

Yes. UPI payments are refunded to the same UPI-linked bank account or VPA. The airline's timeline (7–10 working days) still applies. Unlike credit card chargebacks, UPI does not have a built-in dispute mechanism for refund delays — escalation goes directly to the airline and DGCA AirSewa rather than through a bank chargeback route.

What if SpiceJet has not refunded me for a flight that was cancelled months ago?

SpiceJet has had documented refund delays during its financial difficulties in 2024–25. File a formal complaint on AirSewa (airsewa.gov.in) — include your PNR, cancellation confirmation, and the date of cancellation. DGCA takes SpiceJet complaints seriously given the volume. Also file with the consumer helpline (consumerhelpline.gov.in) if the amount is significant. A credit card chargeback is another option if you paid by card and the charge is within the chargeback window (usually 120–180 days from transaction).

My OTA says the refund has been initiated but I have not received it. What should I do?

Ask the OTA for the 'refund reference number' or 'settlement date' — reputable OTAs like MakeMyTrip and Cleartrip can provide this. Then check with your bank whether a credit has been posted against that reference. If the OTA shows 'refund initiated' but no bank credit appears after 5 working days from that date, contact your bank and the OTA simultaneously. If the OTA cannot provide a reference number, escalate to their grievance officer — OTAs are required under RBI guidelines to have a designated consumer grievance channel.