According to the new Directorate General of Civil Aviation guidelines, domestic airlines will have to pay much more compensation to passengers starting August 1. The new norms direct airlines to pay up to Rs 10,000 to passengers if flights are cancelled or delayed by more than two hours. The earlier compensation for the same was Rs 4,000. The fee for not allowing a passenger to board can be as high as Rs 20,000, PTI reported.

If an airline arranges an alternate flight that departs more than 24 hours after the scheduled departure of the original flight, passengers can claim up to Rs 20,000 compensation. If the passenger does not opt for the alternate flight, the airline will have to refund the full value of the ticket, and compensation of up to Rs 20,000.

However, Air Passengers Association of India founder and president D Sudhakara Reddy said the new guidelines leave areas that need to be addressed, including dispute settlement mechanisms, and burdens of proof regarding whether passengers had in fact been informed about flight delays etc. “How can the ATC delays be a reason for compensation and this leaves the decision in a grey area and will lead to many disputes. It is also not transparent,” Reddy said.