The August 1 deadline given by the Centre as part of the ministry of civil aviation?s directive to all domestic carriers to appoint an ombudsman in order to look into grievances of air passengers has passed by with no trace of such an authority in the future.
None of the scheduled airlines operating in the country, including the state-owned National Aviation Company of India, which runs Air India, or the country?s largest carrier Naresh Goel promoted Jet Airways have even looked into implementing the civil aviation ministry?s request.
The request, made by the civil aviation secretary Ashok Chawla in May earlier this year, with a time of two months to implement but there is no sign of such an authority coming up in the near future said airline officials and ministry sources.
The ombudsman was proposed as an authority which was expected to provide for a forum for passengers to lodge complaints and to act as an arbitrator for settlement of disputes between passengers and airlines.
?As of now, there is no agency where an air passengers can lodge complaints. They have to go to consumer disputes forums or the courts,? a ministry of civil aviation official said.
?But once the carriers appoint their ombudsman, the grievances of passengers are expected to be addressed much faster. It will be an obligation on the part of carriers and send a signal that they care for their passengers,? he added.
The various domestic airline spokespersons said the government vide the civil aviation ministry had proposed such an authority but had not made it mandatory on their part to appoint an ombudsman. ?But then why did the ministry give a deadline for such a proposal,? asked the civil aviation ministry official.
Civil aviation secretary Ashok Chawla had proposed an ombudsman till such time the government was able to notify a watchdog on the lines of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
The regulator will look in to issues like aeronautical charges, user development fee and airfares.
