Parliament Question: Flight cancellation by aviation companies and ticket cancellation charges

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 200 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 2nd February 2026 FLIGHT CANCELLED BY AVIATION COMPANIES AND TICKET CANCELLATION CHARGES 200. DR. SANDEEP KUMAR PATHAK Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:- (a) the total number of flights cancelled by private and public sector aviation companies during the last two years and the total number of flights, out of these, for which the passengers were informed at least two hours before the scheduled departure time; (b) whether Government has issued any clear guidelines regarding passenger flight ticket cancellation charges so far, if so, the details thereof; and (c) whether Government is aware of the fact that many aviation companies are charging 90 per cent or more of the total fare on ticket cancellation charges, if so, the action proposed to be taken to control this practice? ANSWER Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol) (a) : During the years 2024 and 2025, 14,978 (1.3%) and 18,349 (1.6%) flights, respectively, were cancelled by scheduled domestic airlines. (b) to (c) : In order to ensure appropriate protection for the air travelers in case of cancellation of flights by the airlines or ticket cancellation by the passengers, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued passenger-centric regulations in the form of Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) Section 3, Series 'M', Part II, titled "Refund of Airline Tickets to Passengers". As per the provisions of the said CAR, airlines are required to clearly and unambiguously indicate the amount of refund admissible on cancellation of a ticket at the time of booking. Further, the CAR stipulates that under no circumstances shall an airline or its agent levy cancellation charges exceeding the basic fare plus fuel surcharge. While adhering to the above provisions of the CAR, airlines have the autonomy to determine cancellation charges. As per global practice, such cancellation charges may vary depending on the time of cancellation in relation to the scheduled departure time of the flight. ******