Flight cancelled? Here's exactly what DGCA entitles you to
Panchaayat Consumer Desk · Published 1 October 2026 · 7 min read
What Indian airlines actually owe you for a cancelled, delayed or denied-boarding flight under DGCA’s Civil Aviation Requirements, with the exact compensation bands by notice period and delay length.
When a flight is cancelled, the gate agent’s first offer is almost always a travel voucher or a rebooking — rarely the cash compensation, refund and facilities you’re actually entitled to under DGCA’s Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) on cancellations, delays and denied boarding. The voucher isn’t illegal to offer, but it is not the only option, and you don’t have to accept it.
Cancellation: what you get depends entirely on the notice
| Notice given | What the airline owes |
|---|---|
| Less than 24 hours before departure | Alternate flight, or full refund, plus compensation unless an acceptable alternate was offered |
| Between 1 and 2 weeks | Alternate flight within a reasonable window, or refund, plus compensation |
| More than 2 weeks | Generally no compensation owed, but a refund or rebooking still applies |
The compensation bands under CAR Section 3, Series M, Part II scale with the length of the alternate-flight delay the airline offers you — broadly, the shorter and more convenient the alternative, the less compensation is owed; a significantly delayed alternative or no alternative at all pushes you into the higher compensation band.
Delay: the meal-and-refreshment clock starts earlier than you think
- 2 hours or more: the airline must provide meals and refreshments appropriate to the wait
- 3 hours or more (on cancellation) and you choose not to travel: full refund is owed
- Overnight delay: the airline must provide hotel accommodation and transfers where applicable
Ask for the specific CAR section by name — Gate staff respond very differently to "I’d like my entitlement under CAR Section 3, Series M, Part II" than to "this is unacceptable." It signals you know the rule, which moves the conversation from a complaint to a specific, checkable request.
Denied boarding (overbooking) is its own category
If you’re denied boarding despite a confirmed ticket because the flight was oversold, the airline must first ask for volunteers, and if none come forward, it owes compensation on top of a refund or alternate flight — this is distinct from a cancellation and the compensation is typically higher.
Baggage: file before you leave the airport
For lost, damaged or delayed baggage, file a Property Irregularity Report at the airport before you leave — claims made after leaving the baggage hall are dramatically harder to pursue, because there’s no longer an airport-side record tying the damage to that specific flight.
If the airline disputes any of this
- Complain to the airline’s own grievance/nodal officer in writing, citing the specific CAR provision
- Escalate to AirSewa (airsewa.gov.in), the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s grievance portal, which routes complaints directly to airlines and tracks resolution
- Raise a public Panchaayat case with your flight number, date and the specific entitlement disputed — airlines monitor their public complaint record closely during disruption-heavy periods
Real-world pattern
Why "we offered a voucher" complaints spike every disruption season
Vouchers cost the airline less than cash compensation and keep the money inside the airline's own ecosystem — which is exactly why asking for your CAR entitlement by name, in writing, with your flight details on record, changes what gets offered the second time you ask.
Airline offered a voucher instead of your actual entitlement?
File a travel complaintPut your complaint on the public record
Free, takes about a minute, and the company can reply in the open.
Raise a complaintFrequently asked questions
Can an airline force me to accept a travel voucher instead of a refund?
No — under DGCA rules you can choose a refund or an alternate flight where entitled; a voucher is the airline’s convenient default offer, not your only option.
What is AirSewa?
The Ministry of Civil Aviation’s official grievance portal for air-travel complaints, which routes your complaint directly to the airline and tracks the resolution timeline.
Does compensation apply if weather caused the cancellation?
Compensation requirements can differ for reasons genuinely outside the airline’s control, such as weather or air traffic control restrictions, though refund and rebooking obligations typically still apply — check the airline’s stated reason against the actual circumstances.
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Panchaayat Consumer Desk publishes general information to help consumers and companies understand their options — it is not legal advice. For a specific dispute, the escalation routes named above (National Consumer Helpline, sector regulators, Consumer Commissions) are the authoritative next step.