48-hour free cancellation: DGCA modifies ticket refund rules, sets deadline for airlines – The Times of India

Air passengers can now cancel or modify their tickets with out paying further fees inside 48 hours of reserving, topic to sure situations, after the Directorate Basic of Civil Aviation (DGCA) revised refund norms. Beneath the amended civil aviation necessities (CAR) for ‘Refund of Airline Tickets to Passengers of Public Transport Undertakings’, airlines have additionally been barred from levying any further cost for correction of a passenger’s identify, if the error is flagged inside 24 hours of reserving and the ticket was bought immediately via the airline’s web site.“In case of buy of a ticket via journey agent/portal, onus of refund shall lie with the airlines as brokers are their appointed representatives. The airlines shall make sure that the refund course of is accomplished inside 14 working days,” the DGCA mentioned. The revised CAR, issued on February 24, additionally introduces adjustments to norms governing ticket cancellations in case of medical emergencies confronted by passengers.The amendments come amid rising passenger complaints over delays in refunds. The difficulty had additionally come into focus throughout flight disruptions involving IndiGo in December 2025, when the civil aviation ministry directed the airline to finish pending refunds inside a stipulated timeline.The newest adjustments are aimed toward making the refund course of extra passenger-pleasant and guaranteeing accountability on the half of airlines.