The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the regulatory body in the field of civil aviation, primarily responsible for regulation of air transport services to/from/within India and for enforcement of civil air regulations, air safety and airworthiness standards. The most important task of DGCA is to protect and promote the interests and the rights of the consumer through various rules and regulations. In this paper, an attempt is made to highlight the rights of passengers availing air transport services and the rights of consumers in case of denied boarding, cancelations and delays.

The Indian civil aviation industry is on a high growth trajectory. India has a vision of becoming the third largest aviation market by 2020 and is expected to be the largest by 2030. According to Tony Tyler, Director General and CEO of International Air Transport Association (IATA), “The world is focused on Indian aviation—from manufacturers, tourism boards, airlines, global businesses to individual travelers, shippers and businessmen… If we can find common purpose among all stakeholders in Indian aviation, a bright future is at hand.”

In India, air traffic in terms of aircraft movement and passenger traffic has increased during the last three years. The total aircraft movement and passengers registered a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3.3% and 5.6%, respectively, during FY2011 to FY2014. During the April-May period of the financial year 2014, aircraft movement and passengers increased by 5% each over traffic handled during the corresponding period of FY2014.

Law Review Journal, Consumer Rights, Civil Aviation Sector in India