Free Meals For Flight Delay: DGCA’s New Rules For Passengers

DGCA Mandates Free Meals For Flight Delays: Big Relief During Fog Season

Posted November 29, 2024

Airlines must now give free meals for flight delays to passengers, according to new rules from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). If your flight is delayed between 2 to 4 hours, you will get beverages and snacks. For delays longer than 4 hours, the airline has to provide you with a proper meal. This new rule aims to make things better for passengers stuck at airports during delays.

Winter Flight Delays In North India: Free Meals For Delayed Flights

Due to the thick fog in North India this winter, expect flight delays. However, there’s good news for travellers. Airlines now have clear rules about keeping passengers comfortable during the wait:

If your flight is delayed up to 2 hours, you will get drinking water.
For delays between 2-4 hours, expect free tea or coffee with snacks.
If you’re stuck waiting for more than 4 hours, they need to provide free meals for delayed flights.

Aviation Ministry’s New Rules For Airport Delays

The Aviation Ministry says these new flight delay free food rules are all about putting passengers first when flights get delayed. If you’re asked to get off a delayed plane (due to bad weather or technical problems), you won’t have to go through the whole security check again. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has allowed quick and easy re-boarding for such cases. To make sure everything runs smoothly, airports are already practicing these new procedures.

Delhi Fog Season Triggers New Passenger Rules At Airports

These snacks and meals for flight delays rules come at a crucial time as Delhi has just entered its foggy season, which starts in December and is famous for causing flight problems. In fact, this week alone, the bad weather forced 15 flights to land at different airports and delayed more than 100 flights, leaving thousands of travellers stranded.

That’s exactly why India’s aviation authority DGCA has stepped in with these flight delay free food rules. This measure should help make those unexpected delays a bit more bearable for passengers.

Overall, the DGCA’s new policy of providing free snacks and meals for flight delays shows a proactive approach to handling winter travel challenges, ensuring passengers are well-cared for during unexpected waits.