Airlines will now be required to give beverages and snacks to passengers whose flights are delayed by two to four hours and meals if the aircraft is delayed for more than four hours. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has informed airlines that low visibility in north India is already causing delays this winter. When a flight is delayed in one sector, it causes delays on all other routes in the airline's network that the aircraft is scheduled to operate that day.
On Friday, the aviation ministry said on X, “… airlines have been advised to provide facilities to passengers during flight delays. These measures are designed to prioritise passenger convenience during unforeseen disruptions. As per an advisory issued by DGCA, airlines (have) to provide drinking water for delays of flights up to two hours; tea or coffee with snacks/refreshments for delays between two and four 4 hours; and meals for delays exceeding four hours.”
“These provisions aim to enhance passenger experience while addressing their basic needs during extended waiting times,” the ministry added.
Aside from this DGCA recommendation, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has addressed one of the most common concerns that passengers on delayed flights encounter each winter: staying onboard the airplane for hours while waiting to take off. It now allows for "smooth re-entry of passengers stranded inside aircraft due to weather or technical delays," reducing inconvenience and facilitating smoother re-boarding when flights resume. Concerned parties are also conducting a drill on the same," the aviation ministry stated on Wednesday.
For several winters, one of the most common complaints from passengers has been being stuck inside an airplane at foggy airports such as Delhi's IGIA, waiting for visibility to improve. Previously, airlines did not let passengers on delayed flights alight since it forced them to go through security checks again before boarding, which increased flight delays and resulted in the aircraft losing its takeoff position on the waiting list.
Passengers were kept on board so the plane could begin taxiing as soon as it received permission to take off when the fog cleared. Hopefully, this will change this winter with the revised BCAS rule.
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