India’s aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation is considering further action to stamp out the rising cost of flight ticket cancellation charges.
It may cap fees to below the base fare, a senior DGCA official said.
According to the Economic Times, DGCA officials have discussed the move with airlines and if it is passed would also include charges imposed by online booking sites.
"There have been instances, where the cancellation fee exceeds the total fare charged and the passenger does not get anything when the ticket is cancelled," the official said.
Most Indian airlines have hiked cancellation fees over the last year, with some imposing a fixed fee which can be more than the original fare paid.
Air India increased its cancellation charge to INR2,000 earlier this years and IndiGo more recently imposed a fixed fee of INR2,250.
It is part of a wide-ranging rule update for ticket cancellation, baggage and denied boarding, which DGCA hopes to announce soon.
