Indian regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation is urging airlines to speed up their customer service delivery with technology.
It wants airlines to leverage social media and text messaging to resolve complaints and keep passengers in the loop regarding service disruption.
DGCA director general Arun Kumar met with airline executives last week and the regulator has come up with a series of service enhancements it wants airlines to adopt.
DGCA asks that airlines keep passengers informed of delays or boarding gate changes by text message alerts.
"In case of delay, airlines have been asked to make appropriate arrangements to provide water, refreshments and meals as per the provisions of the Civil Aviation Requirements," a DGCA official said.
Social media channels should be used more to address and resolve customer complaints, it said.
"Prompt redressal of passenger complaints is the top-most priority and must be attended to."
Another area that requires speedier action is processing customer refunds the agency said.
"The DGCA will monitor the new resolution mechanism prescribed and any laxity in resolution would attract strict action," the official added.
The issues were raised after a spike in customer complaints in September over the lack of information given to customers during recent bad weather cancellations and delays.
"There was visible outrage by flyers following the lack of information from airlines. Hence DGCA is reminding airlines to follow the rules," one unnamed airline executive said.
