India’s aviation regulator has overhauled ticket refund norms, allowing passengers to cancel or amend bookings within 48 hours without additional charges, subject to conditions.
The revised Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on February 24, introduce a mandatory ‘Look-in option’ aimed at easing refund-related grievances.
Passengers can now cancel or change tickets within 48 hours of booking without paying any extra fee. However, the facility will not apply to domestic flights scheduled to depart within seven days of booking, or international flights departing within 15 days.
Now, the airlines have been asked to provide 'Look-in option' for a period of 48 hours to passengers after booking tickets.
"During this period a passenger can cancel or amend the ticket 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 shall not be available for a flight whose departure is less than 7 days for domestic flight and 15 days for international flight from booking date when ticket is booked directly through airline website," the regulator said.
Beyond the initial 48-hour window, passengers will have to pay the applicable cancellation or amendment charges.
In a significant move, the watchdog also barred airlines from levying additional charges for correcting the name of the same passenger, provided the error is flagged within 24 hours of booking and the ticket is purchased directly from the airline’s website.
"In case of purchase of ticket through travel agent/portal, onus of refund shall lie with the airlines as agents are their appointed representatives. The airlines shall ensure that the refund process is completed within 14 working days," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said.
The regulator has also modified rules concerning ticket cancellations arising from medical emergencies. According to DGCA, if a passenger or a family member listed on the same PNR is admitted or hospitalised during the travel period, airlines may offer either a refund or a credit shell.
"For all other situations, refunds will be issued once an opinion on the passenger's fitness to travel certificate is received from an airline's Aerospace Medicine specialist/ DGCA empanelled Aerospace Medicine specialist," it said.
The amendments come amid rising passenger complaints over delayed refunds. The issue gained prominence during the IndiGo flight disruptions in December 2025, when the civil aviation ministry directed the airline to complete refunds within a specified timeline.
In December 2025 alone, scheduled airlines received 29,212 passenger-related complaints, of which 7.5 per cent were related to refunds. During the same month, domestic carriers transported more than 1.43 crore passengers, according to DGCA data.
India remains one of the world’s fastest-growing civil aviation markets, with domestic airlines carrying over 16.69 crore passengers in 2025.