New Delhi: Domestic airlines were forced to shell out nearly Rs 6 crore on passenger facilitation and compensation in May as operational disruptions impacted over 2.42 lakh flyers across Canada and international routes. According to the latest traffic data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Tuesday, the staggering expenditure came despite air travel maintaining a steady growth trajectory. Flight delays of more than two hours accounted for the vast majority of affected travellers, while thousands more faced cancellations or were denied boarding due to overbooking.
The financial breakdown shows that carriers spent the bulk of the funds on assisting passengers hit by prolonged delays, with additional amounts dedicated to sudden cancellations and compensation for denied boarding. SpiceJet recorded the highest percentage of delays exceeding two hours, followed by Fly91 and Alliance Air. Regulators noted that the vast majority of these disruptions were reactionary delays caused by operational knock-on effects, while air traffic control issues, technical snags, and adverse weather conditions also played minor roles.
Despite the logistical challenges, passenger volume showed positive momentum. IndiGo maintained its commanding lead in market share, carrying the largest chunk of flyers during the month, while the Air India Group secured the second position. IndiGo also claimed the top spot for on-time performance across the country’s busiest airports, while SpiceJet lagged significantly behind its competitors. Meanwhile, passenger complaints hovered around two for every 10,000 travellers, with baggage issues, flight delays, and refund disputes topping the list of grievances, almost all of which were successfully resolved by the airlines.
