Indian carriers to fully refund ‘lockdown’ tickets

Indian airlines have been asked to issue a full refund for tickets booked for travel during the country’s recently extended lockdown period, and this could impact their cash position. In a memorandum, the DGCA said April 16 that tickets booked and paid for during the initial lockdown period of March 25 to April 14, and for travel during that same period, must be fully refunded without cancellation charges. The same applies to tickets booked during the first lockdown period for travel during the extended lockdown period of April 15 to May 3. The measures apply to both domestic and international flights and the airlines must complete refunds within 3 weeks of passengers requesting them. Before DGCA’s announcement, most airlines declined to provide refunds and instead offered credits. <br/>