Centre told the Supreme Court that passengers must be paid full refund for air tickets booked during the coronavirus lockdown on Saturday adding that if the airlines are unable to pay fliers will get credit shell up to March 31 next year.
The tickets, both domestic and international, booked between March 25 and May 3 this year and will have to be refunded immediately. SC was hearing a PIL filed by Pravasi Legal Cell, an NGO which has asked for full refund of the air tickets and asked Centre’s opinion. The centre also said the passenger can use the credit on any route of choice and should also be able to transfer it to anyone.
“There shall be an incentive mechanism to compensate the passenger if there is a delay in consuming the credit shell – from the date of cancellation up to 30th June, 2020. The value of credit shell shall be enhanced by 0.5% of the face value (the amount of fare collected) for every month or part thereof between the date of cancellation and 30th June, 2020. Thereafter, the value of credit shell shall be enhanced by 0.75% of the face value per month, up to March 2021,” the DGCA said in its affidavit filed on Saturday in SC.
