New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aviation regulator in India has revised the norms of air ticket refund to make things easier for passengers in case of cancellations and changes in flight schedules.
DGCA changes rules for passengers
The DGCA has updated the rules which states that passengers will be able to cancel or amend airline tickets within 48 hours of booking and they do not have to pay any extra charges. It ordered that refunds must be completed by the airlines within 14 working days and cannot charge for simple name corrections if they are detected within 24 hours of booking the tickets.
These changes and other ticket refund rules have been introduced by the DGCA to cut delays and confusion that many passengers face. These problems became especially acute when the Indian aviation sector was hit by the IndiGo flight disruption last December.
Passengers won’t have to pay extra fees
Now, if passengers cancel or change tickets 48 hours of purchase, then they do not have to pay any extra fees. Even if they book tickets directly with airlines, they won’t have to pay the extra charge in the even of cancellation if certain conditions are met. Thanks to this rule, flyers will get a short grace period to rethink plans without paying any penalty.
Also, the airlines must fix a spelling error or similar mistake in a name without extra charges if passengers point it out within 24 hours of booking. However, this is applicable for bookings made on the airline’s own website. It passengers buy tickets through travel agents or third-party portals, even then airlines must complete the refund process within 14 working days.
DGCA has made the changes in rules after many flyers complained about not getting refunds on time. During the IndiGo operational crisis in December 2025, the issue of ticket refund became particularly acute as many flights were cancelled.