Passengers in India Can Cancel Flights Without Any Additional Charges Within 48 Hours

New rules for passengers in the aviation market in India were issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on 24 February 2026. Under new regulations, passengers in India can cancel or amend their flights without additional charges when the change is made within 48 hours of booking, subject to certain conditions. Moreover, amendments to India's aviation refund policy have also been made, helping passengers receive refunds promptly. If you want to learn about the DGCA amendment on flight changes and cancellations for Indian passengers, continue reading.

Change and Cancellation Guidelines Issued by DGCA for Passengers in India

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has received several complaints regarding delays in refunds for unused tickets, irregularities in refunds received by passengers, and failure to provide refunds, instead issuing travel credits that can be used for future travel. Thus, the authority has issued some guidelines for passengers in India, which can be seen as follows:

• A refund shall be made within 7 days of ticket cancellation to the credit card holder's account if the payment was made by credit card.
• If the payment is made in cash, the refund should be issued instantly at the airline office where the ticket was purchased.
• When booking a flight through a travel agent, the onus to return the refund lies with the airline, as the travel agent is their appointed representative. In case of a travel agent purchase, the airline must ensure that the passengers receive the refund within 14 working days.
• All statutory taxes and User Development Fee (UDF)/Passenger Service Fee (PSF)/ Airport Development Fee (ADF) are fully refundable by the airline in case of non-utilization/ cancellation/ no-show of a passenger. This provision should apply to all types of tickets, including the non-refundable basic fare ticket and promo/special fare tickets.
• A "Look-in option" should be provided to passengers for 48 hours after the booking has been made. During this period, passengers should be allowed to cancel or amend their flight itinerary without any additional charges, except for the normal prevailing fare for the revised flight for which the ticket is sought to be amended. This facility is provided to domestic flights whose departure is at least 7 days away, and to international flights whose departure is at least 15 days away from the booking. This option is not available if the changes have been made after 48 hours of booking, and thus, passengers have to pay the relevant cancellation or change fee for the amendment.
• The option to have the airline issue a credit for the amount shall be the prerogative of the passengers and must not be a default practice of the airline.
• The airline should indicate the refund amount in an unambiguous manner.
• Cancellation charges must be indicated at the time of booking.
• No cancellation charges must exceed the basic fare plus the fuel surcharges in any circumstances.
• No additional charges should be levied by the airline to proceed with the refund.
• The foreign airlines operating in India should follow the refund policy as per the country's guidelines.