New DGCA Refund Rules Allow Air Ticket Changes Without Extra Charges Within 48 Hours

In Shorts

• Passengers can cancel or modify air tickets within 48 hours of booking without extra fees
• Airlines must process refunds within 14 working days even for agent bookings
• Minor name corrections allowed free of cost within 24 hours of booking

In a move aimed at improving passenger convenience, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has revised airline ticket refund norms, offering greater flexibility to air travellers across the country.

Under the updated Civil Aviation Requirements, passengers will now be allowed to cancel or modify their flight tickets within 48 hours of booking without paying any additional charges. This benefit will apply to bookings made directly through airline websites, provided the scheduled departure date is at least seven days away for domestic flights and 15 days away for international journeys.

The new rules also simplify the process for correcting minor errors in passenger names. If a spelling mistake or similar issue is reported within 24 hours of booking, airlines are required to rectify it without levying extra charges, as long as the correction is for the same traveller.

In addition, airlines will now be responsible for ensuring timely refunds even when tickets are booked through travel agents or third party platforms. The revised guidelines mandate that refunds must be processed within 14 working days, reducing delays that passengers previously faced while dealing with intermediaries.

Refund timelines have also been standardised. Tickets purchased using credit cards must be refunded within seven days of cancellation, while cash payments made at airline offices are to be reimbursed immediately at the same location.

The revised norms further ensure that statutory taxes and passenger related charges are refundable even for non refundable tickets in case of cancellations or no shows. The updated policy also introduces provisions for cancellations arising from medical emergencies, allowing airlines to offer either refunds or credit shells if a passenger or family member listed on the same booking is hospitalised during the travel period.

These amendments are set to come into effect from March 26, 2026, and are expected to enhance transparency in airline refund processes while providing much needed financial protection to passengers making advance travel bookings.