Air India Fined $13k For Denying Boarding To Passengers

The #DGCA, #India's #aviation regulator, has slapped another fine on #AirIndia for failing to compensate passengers who were denied boarding. The agency has been actively calling out Indian carriers on their wrongdoings in recent months, whether it's due to poorly maintained aircraft or bad customer service. For failing to follow the rules, you'll be fined.

Passengers who arrive on time but are denied boarding on overbooked flights must follow certain criteria specified by the DGCA. However, there have been multiple allegations of airlines breaking these laws, prompting the DGCA to conduct inspections in #Delhi, #Bengaluru, and #Hyderabad.

The DGCA penalised Air India nearly $13,000 on Tuesday for denying boarding to passengers with valid tickets and failing to have a mechanism in place to compensate them. In a statement, the agency said, "The competent authority has imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh (about $13k) as part of enforcement action after reviewing the airline's submissions." Furthermore, the airline has been told to put mechanisms in place as soon as possible to rectify the issue, failing which the DGCA will take additional action.

Last month, the regulator issued a warning to Indian airlines, requiring them to give compensation and other services to passengers who were denied boarding. It stated that airlines that fail to comply will face hefty fines.

According to government regulations, an airline is not compelled to compensate passengers if a replacement flight is found within an hour of the scheduled departure time. If the airline books another flight within 24 hours of being denied boarding, it must pay 200 percent of the prepaid one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charges, up to a maximum of $10,000 (about $130). If the alternative trip departs more than 24 hours after the original flight, the airline is liable for 400 percent of the booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charges, up to a maximum of 20,000 dollars (about $260).

Last month, mayhem erupted at New Delhi's IGI airport when passengers on a London-bound Air India flight were delayed for several hours over seat assignment due to several seats not "functioning." As a result, the DGCA issued a warning to airlines not to sell tickets for seats that are not fit for usage during flights.

Overbooking flights is a frequent tactic used by airlines all over the world to increase revenue. The airlines adjust for the possibility that a small percentage of passengers will miss or fail to show up for their flights. Instead of flying with vacant seats on a daily basis, airlines want to make more money from them.

However, there are times when more people show up for a flight than there are seats available on the plane. In these situations, all airlines are required to follow specific processes in order to handle the problem. Typically, airlines are able to find enough customers on overbooked flights who are willing to give up their seats in exchange for a hotel stay or cash vouchers.

When there aren't enough volunteers, though, airlines are forced to pick the unlucky passengers themselves, which is known as "involuntary refused boarding." It is never an option to not compensate passengers in these situations, regardless of the circumstances, which is why the DGCA is holding airlines accountable.