Legal information notice: this article provides general information and isn't a substitute for advice from a qualified lawyer.
Your flight got cancelled — maybe an hour before departure, maybe the night before — and now you’re stuck figuring out whether you get your money back, a seat on another flight, or nothing at all beyond an apology email. Indian aviation rules actually spell this out in detail. Here’s exactly what you’re entitled to and how to claim it.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) governs airline cancellations through Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) Section 3, Series M, Part IV — “Facilities to be provided to passengers by airlines due to denied boarding, cancellation of flights and delays in flights.” When the airline cancels your flight, it must provide either an acceptable alternate flight or a full refund of your ticket, plus compensation — and while waiting at the airport for an alternate flight, meals and refreshments as well.
Compensation under CAR Section 3 is tiered by how much notice the airline gave and, for delays, by the flight’s scheduled duration — broadly ranging from around ₹5,000 up to ₹20,000 per passenger (not per booking — a family of four cancelled together can each claim separately). Delays stretching past 12 hours also entitle you to hotel accommodation and transfers. One important carve-out: airlines are not obliged to compensate when the cancellation is due to a force majeure event — extraordinary circumstances genuinely beyond their control, like severe weather, air traffic control restrictions, or security threats.
Screenshot the app notification, SMS, or email — the exact stated reason and the timestamp both matter, since force majeure cancellations aren’t compensable while operational ones (crew shortage, technical issues, commercial decisions) are.
The airline must offer you a choice — a comparable alternate flight, or a full refund of your ticket. You are not required to accept whatever the airline pushes first; ask for both options explicitly.
If you’ve already reported for your original flight, raise your compensation claim with airline staff at the counter immediately — get a written acknowledgment or reference number for whatever they promise, rather than a verbal assurance.
If the promised refund or compensation doesn’t materialize within a reasonable window, file a formal grievance on the government’s AirSewa portal — it routes your complaint directly to the airline with a tracked resolution timeline.
If AirSewa doesn’t get you a result, a formal consumer complaint over an unpaid, documented compensation entitlement is a straightforward case with a strong paper trail already in place.
A genuinely useful recent development: a 48-hour free cancellation window (effective from 26 March 2026) now applies to domestic flights booked directly with the airline, provided your travel date is at least seven days away — meaning changes on the airline’s own side within that window carry fewer disputes over what you’re owed. It’s still worth checking your specific fare rules, since some promotional fares carry separate conditions.
The single most common dispute in this area isn’t whether compensation is owed — it’s whether the airline can legitimately call the cancellation “force majeure.” Airlines have, in practice, sometimes cited vague “operational reasons” to sidestep paying out. If the reason given is generic and doesn’t match publicly known weather or air-traffic disruptions for that day and route, that’s worth challenging directly rather than accepting at face value.
Keep your full paper trail — booking confirmation, the cancellation notice, boarding pass (if you’d already checked in), and every message exchanged with the airline. This documentation is what turns “the airline owes me something” into a claim a consumer forum can actually rule on quickly.
| Cancellation Type | Your Entitlement |
|---|---|
| Operational (crew, technical, commercial) | Full refund or alternate flight, plus cash compensation |
| Force majeure (weather, ATC, security) | Full refund or alternate flight — compensation not mandatory |
| Reason unclear or unverified | Worth challenging — don't accept 'force majeure' without basis |
Start with AirSewa, the DGCA-backed grievance redressal portal built specifically for airline disputes. If that doesn’t resolve things, a consumer complaint goes to the appropriate District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
AirSewa is completely free. A consumer complaint carries only a nominal filing fee, and claims up to a certain threshold can be filed without any fee at all.
For a straightforward compensation claim with clear documentation, most people handle this themselves through AirSewa and, if needed, a self-filed consumer complaint. A lawyer becomes genuinely useful if the airline disputes the facts, denies the cancellation reason, or the claim involves a larger loss (missed connecting international flight, business loss) beyond the standard compensation bands.
Need professional legal help with this?
Find a Lawyer on VidyodayIf your compensation dispute escalates to a formal case, our guide on filing a consumer complaint online walks through the e-Jagriti process step by step. If you’d also purchased travel insurance for the trip, see our guide on insurance claim rejected for that separate track.
You are entitled to choose a cash refund to your original payment method — the airline cannot force a travel credit or voucher on you if a cancellation was on their end.
DGCA’s CAR Section 3 applies to flights operated by Indian carriers and, for the Indian leg, generally to flights departing from Indian airports — international carriers may also be bound by separate international conventions offering comparable or stronger protections.
There’s no single universal statutory deadline for cash compensation, but unreasonable delay after a valid claim is itself a ground for escalation through AirSewa and, subsequently, a consumer complaint.
The airline remains liable for cancellation compensation regardless of your booking channel, though refund processing for the ticket price itself may route back through the agent/OTA and can take a few days longer.
Yes — accepting an alternate flight doesn’t waive your right to cash compensation for the disruption; the alternate flight and the compensation are separate entitlements.
This is treated as part of the same disrupted journey — you can claim for the missed connection’s consequences as well, and it’s worth documenting any additional costs (rebooking, accommodation) incurred as a direct result.
A consumer complaint generally must be filed within two years of the cause of action — but file as early as possible, since documentation and airline responsiveness are both easier to secure while the incident is recent.
No — a technical or maintenance issue with the aircraft is generally treated as an operational cause within the airline’s control, not force majeure, and remains compensable.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Compensation amounts and applicable exceptions depend on the specific circumstances of your cancellation — consult a consumer rights lawyer or the AirSewa portal for guidance specific to your case.
