CHENNAI: "Go Air, Spicejet, Indigo, Jackson Airlines, Tarneja Aerospace" are some of the fancy names of airline operators who are targeting rail travellers and those with disposable income. And with freebies and airfares touching as low as Rs.1 to 500 and beyond, there is a growing need for the first time air travellers to know how the operators are taking the passengers for a ride.

As the sky gets crowded with more operators, passengers need to know their rights as consumers. This is where the role of the Air Passengers' Association of India (APAI) assumes immense importance.

Established in 1990, the APAI is a national, non-profit organisation dedicated to the welfare of air passengers. Over the years, the association has also been playing a role in the development of the aviation sector itself.

Headquartered in Chennai, the association, which has regional offices in Mumbai, Delhi and Nagpur and an area office at Visakhapatnam, has created awareness on the rights of air passengers and encourages them to address their grievances to authorities concerned. It also takes up the case of aggrieved passengers and tries to ensure that justice is meted out.

As part of their continuing process to create greater awareness among the new travellers, the APAI's website: www.air-passenger.com was launched in January 31, 2005.

It has been further made traveller friendly from April 4, 2006.

"Our Association's (now updated) website (www.air-passenger.com) gives basic information and several related links to educate air travellers about the operators", D. Sudhakara Reddy, founder-president of the APAI said.

While several grievances of air passengers had been taken up with airlines concerned and also the Union Civil Aviation Ministry, the association had even won a case of compensation with Indian (formerly Indian Airlines) for a delayed flight from Chennai to Hyderabad on October 9, 2005. After a prolonged correspondence and detailed explanation given to the national carrier, APAI received a communication from the airline that 2,500 mileage points were being given to each of the passengers who travelled on flight (IC-948) on October 9 last year.

It is a good gesture from Indian, Mr. Reddy says adding that other emerging carriers should take the cue from this episode.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail