India’s Consumer Affairs Ministry has stated that the Central Consumer Protection Authority has ordered online travel agency Yatra to accelerate refunds for flight cancellations during the COVID-19 lockdown.
According to a June 27 order, Yatra must establish five dedicated seats at the National Consumer Helpline to contact passengers still awaiting refunds. The company will cover the costs of this arrangement, as PTI reported.
CCPA orders immediate refunds
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) took suo-moto action against Yatra after receiving numerous complaints through the National Consumer Helpline regarding the company’s failure to refund cancelled air tickets. Following this, CCPA conducted multiple hearings from July 2021 to June 2024 to address these grievances, ultimately leading to the 2020 Supreme Court ruling that mandated immediate refunds for tickets booked during the lockdown period.
“As a result of these efforts, Yatra has made significant progress in reducing the total number of pending refund bookings,” the ministry said in a statement.
Yatra refunded 87% of customers