Surge In Flight Refunds: Airline Refund Complaints In India Rise Over Three-Fold In 2025, Civil Aviation Ministry Data Reveals
Passenger complaints over flight ticket cancellations and delayed refunds surged to 4,386 in 2025, compared with 1,315 in 2024, official data showed. Minister Murlidhar Mohol told Rajya Sabha that the Civil Aviation Ministry has strengthened grievance monitoring through a permanent passenger assistance control room and DGCA oversight to ensure airlines follow refund and compensation rules.
Ministry of Civil Aviation | X @MoCA_GoI
Mumbai: Passenger grievances regarding flight ticket cancellations and delayed refunds experienced a steep surge in 2025, with complaints reported by commercial airlines jumping to 4,386 — a more than threefold increase compared to the 1,315 complaints logged in 2024.
Data tabled in Rajya Sabha by Minister Mohol
The sharply rising discontent among air travellers was revealed in official data submitted to the Rajya Sabha by the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, in reply to a question asked on Monday.
According to figures collated by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), refund-related complaints had previously shown a fluctuating trend before skyrocketing in 2025. After declining from 1,508 in 2022 to under 1,000 in 2023, complaint levels rose modestly in 2024 before experiencing an unprecedented spike. According to Ministry sources, most of these complaints belong to India's largest commercial carrier IndiGo, which faced severe operational downfall in December last year due to error in optimising operations according to the newly implemented flight duty time limitation..
5,689 cancellations, ₹22.2 cr penalty on IndiGo
Notably, IndiGo's massive operational meltdown in December 2025 led to around 5,689 flight cancellations and a record penalty of Rs 22.2 crore – highest ever on an airline.
In response to queries raised by Rajya Sabha MP Ghanshyam Tiwari regarding steps taken to protect consumers, the Ministry detailed several administrative and regulatory measures aimed at strengthening grievance redressal mechanisms. It highlighted the establishment of a permanent passenger assistance control room (PACR), which brings together representatives from MoCA, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Airports Authority of India (AAI) and commercial airlines for real-time monitoring of flight delays, cancellation disruptions, baggage issues, and refund processing.
ALSO READ
Moreover, the Ministry also highlighted that air traveller rights regarding refunds and cancellations are enforced through specific civil aviation requirements, which set explicit terms and timelines for processing ticket refunds and regulate facilities, care, and compensation to be provided to passengers affected by flight cancellations, extended delays, or denied boarding.
The Ministry also affirmed that the DGCA actively monitors airline compliance with these regulations and takes formal enforcement actions whenever non-compliance or systemic failures are identified.
The Ministry reiterated that domestic regulatory provisions are routinely updated to ensure passenger rights remain safeguarded during large-scale operational breakdowns. As air travel continues its rapid expansion across Indian airports, strict oversight under DGCA's passenger charter remains central to curbing prolonged refund delays and ensuring fair treatment for travellers.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
RECENT STORIES
-
-
-
-
-