Cancelled flights
If the airline cancels your flight it must offer you an alternate flight or a full refund — your choice. If you were told less than 24 hours before departure (or not at all), it must also pay compensation: ₹5,000 for flights up to 1 hour, ₹7,500 for 1–2 hours and ₹10,000 for longer flights, or the one-way basic fare plus fuel charge if that is less. The same applies if the cancellation makes you miss a connection on the same ticket. No compensation is due if the cancellation was caused by events beyond the airline’s control, such as severe weather or air traffic control restrictions — but the refund or alternate flight is still owed.
Delayed flights
There is no fixed cash compensation for a delay in India. The airline must give meals and refreshments once the delay passes 2 hours (flights up to 2½ hours), 3 hours (2½–5 hours) or 4 hours (longer flights). If a domestic flight is delayed by more than 6 hours and you were not told more than 24 hours earlier, you can choose an alternate flight or a full refund. A hotel and transfers are due for a delay over 24 hours, or over 6 hours for flights scheduled between 8 pm and 3 am.
Denied boarding (overbooking)
Airlines must first ask for volunteers. If you are refused boarding against your will with a confirmed ticket and checked in on time: no compensation if you are flown within 1 hour; 200% of the one-way basic fare plus fuel charge (up to ₹10,000) if within 24 hours; 400% (up to ₹20,000) if later, or if you decline the alternate and take a refund. It must be paid in money, not a voucher, unless you agree in writing.
How to claim
- Ask at the airport for the written notice of your rights and keep boarding passes, the cancellation message and receipts.
- Write to the airline (the letter above) and note the complaint number.
- If unresolved, write to the airline’s nodal officer, then its appellate authority.
- File on AirSewa, the government’s air passenger grievance portal. You can also go to a consumer commission.
Rules from the DGCA Civil Aviation Requirement (Section 3, Series M, Part IV) as summarised in the sources below, checked on 13 November 2026. They are minimums; read your airline’s conditions of carriage and the current CAR on dgca.gov.in. This is a guide, not legal advice. Flights leaving the EU or UK, or on EU/UK airlines, may fall under EU261/UK261 instead, which pay more.
Questions
How much compensation for a cancelled flight in India?
₹5,000 for flights up to 1 hour, ₹7,500 for 1–2 hours and ₹10,000 for longer flights — or the one-way basic fare plus fuel charge if less — when the airline tells you less than 24 hours before departure. You also get an alternate flight or a full refund.
Do I get money if my flight is delayed in India?
Not as cash compensation. You get meals after 2–4 hours depending on flight length, an alternate flight or full refund after 6 hours, and a hotel for long overnight delays.
What if I am denied boarding because of overbooking?
If you are not flown within 1 hour: 200% of the one-way basic fare plus fuel charge, up to ₹10,000, when flown within 24 hours; 400%, up to ₹20,000, if later or if you decline the alternate flight.
Where do I complain if the airline does not reply?
To the airline’s nodal officer and appellate authority, then on AirSewa, the government portal for air passengers. A consumer commission is also open to you.
Sources
- Wego — DGCA passenger rights 2026
- AirHelp — Air passenger rights in India
- International Bar Association — passenger rights and the IndiGo disruptions (Feb 2026)
- DGCA
Last checked 2026-11-13. Free to use; please check important details before you rely on them.