Etihad Delhi-Abu Dhabi flight cancellation: What the rules say about compensation when technical problems disrupt travel | Today’s news

An Etihad Airways flight from Delhi to Abu Dhabi was canceled late on Saturday due to a technical problem with the Boeing 787, leaving around 200 passengers stranded.

A number of passengers who booked flight EY217 from Delhi to Abu Dhabi told PTI that the flight was scheduled to depart at 9.15 pm.

All passengers were asked to get off the plane, with the crew telling them there was a technical problem with the plane.

After a few hours, the airline announced that the flight had been cancelled.

Why is DGCA commenting on compensation in this regard?

The fact that passengers have already boarded does not in itself remove the flight cancellation protection they are guaranteed. According to the DGCA, “cancellation” of a flight means the non-operation of a flight which was previously scheduled and on which at least one passenger was booked.

Despite passengers boarding the plane, it is still considered a cancellation as Eithad was not operating the flight.

So the airline is technically required to provide passengers with an acceptable alternate flight or replacement along with a full refund.

For an international flight that has a block time of 2 hours or more, compensation guidelines apply ₹10,000 OR Booked One Way Base Fare + Airline Fuel Charge, whichever is lower.

Airlines are also required to provide food/refreshments and hotel accommodation, including transfers, to passengers who have checked in on the original flight.

The DGCA says that for a foreign carrier (in this case Etihad) the compensation must match its country of origin or equivalent amounts prescribed by the DGCA.

Technical “technical errors” page.

However, airlines are exempt from providing compensation if the reason for the cancellation is beyond their control. This can happen in case of natural disasters, ATC problems, strikes, government regulations, security risks, etc.

However, Etihad has just announced a technical fault. According to a PTI report, specific details about what the technical problem was could not be ascertained.

If the issue is due to manufacturing defects or tampering, this can potentially be considered an issue beyond Etihad’s control.

However, Etihad’s current conditions of carriage state that they do not take precedence over applicable country laws, and its India-specific page also shows compensation amounts prescribed by the DGCA depending on the length of the flight.

Where do you get a refund?

While the refund amount is sent to the original source from where the ticket was purchased, the compensation amount, which is a separate component, is paid in cash, bank transfer or travel voucher if the passenger agrees.

Passengers should note that the airline cannot force them to accept a travel voucher.