Air India offers one-time waiver on change or cancellation of domestic bookings; Know dates and other details

Air India has stepped in with passenger-relief measures as India's aviation system continues to absorb the fallout of IndiGo's five-day disruption, which stranded thousands and triggered overcrowding and fare spikes across airports nationwide.

On Saturday, the Tata-owned carrier said it has rolled out a series of steps designed to "help" customers caught in the travel chaos. This includes a special one-time waiver on change and cancellation fees for domestic bookings, as well as early capping of economy-class fares on non-stop domestic routes — a move it said was done "proactively" from 4 December to prevent automated pricing systems from pushing up ticket costs amid the sudden surge in demand.

Air India and Air India Express said they are now aligning their systems with the Civil Aviation Ministry's instructions issued on Saturday, which temporarily limit economy fares — except business class — to between Rs 7,500 and Rs 18,000 depending on sector length.

A one-time waiver for affected fliers

The airline said customers who booked domestic tickets with Air India or Air India Express until 4 December for travel up to 15 December can shift their travel to a later date without paying any rescheduling fee, provided the new date falls within the original ticket validity. Travellers also have the option to cancel their bookings entirely and receive a full refund, with "no cancellation fee applied".

This one-time waiver is valid for changes or cancellations made until 8 December 2025, though any difference in fare at the time of rescheduling will still be applicable.

Government pushes IndiGo to close refunds

The aviation ministry, which has been monitoring the spiralling delays and cancellations, issued a separate set of directions to IndiGo on Saturday. The airline — normally operating around 2,300 daily flights — has been told to complete refunds for all cancelled and delayed flights by 8 pm on Sunday. It must also return all baggage that was separated from passengers within 48 hours.

The fare caps and refund orders form part of the government's broader effort to stabilise operations and soften the impact on passengers after one of the sector's most disruptive weeks in recent memory.