Aviation oversight: Civil aviation ministry activates 24x7 passenger control room; aims faster grievance redressal

The civil aviation ministry has operationalised a round-the-clock Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR) to address air travellers’ grievances more promptly, amid recent flight disruptions caused by operational issues and weather-related delays, PTI reported. The control room, which became functional on December 10, brings together officials from the ministry, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), airlines and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to monitor flight operations, attend to passenger complaints and coordinate real-time assistance. The PACR was set up in the aftermath of large-scale operational disruptions faced by IndiGo earlier this month and continuing challenges such as fog-related delays at several airports. Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha said the initiative has led to a marked improvement in grievance redressal and has received a positive response from passengers and other stakeholders. “Over 13,000 passenger grievances, received through AirSewa, social media and call channels, have been resolved, with cases expedited and prioritised through close monitoring at the Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR),” Sinha said in a statement. According to the ministry, grievances raised across multiple platforms are now being channelled through the PACR in New Delhi, enabling quicker resolution through close coordination with airline representatives. Explaining the rationale for the initiative, Sinha said persistent issues such as frequent flight delays, inadequate or delayed refunds, long queues, poor passenger facilities at airports and incidents of lost baggage had continued to affect passenger experience across the aviation ecosystem. “These concerns highlighted the need for a structured, systematic and coordinated response rather than ad-hoc interventions,” he said. During a visit to the control room, officials and airline representatives said complaints handled at the centre range from flight cancellations and delays to lost baggage and onboard service issues. IndiGo’s Director of Customer Experience Pratik Arjun Sen said the airline receives a mixed set of passenger queries at the PACR and efforts are made to resolve grievances at the earliest. Since the disruptions earlier this month, Sen said IndiGo’s customer experience team has been working to address issues such as ticket refunds, with noticeable improvement. Ajeet Tiwari, Assistant Manager of Operations at SpiceJet, said flight delays are among the most common grievances flagged by passengers, adding that workflow at the control room has been smooth. Lisa Agarwal from Air India Express’s Customer Happiness Team said complaints often relate to lost or damaged baggage and meals not being served onboard, with most issues targeted for resolution within 72 hours. Akasa Air’s Senior Customer Service Agent Shahbaj Alam said the airline receives around 15–16 passenger queries daily at the centre, largely related to service issues, flight cancellations and refunds. Ministry official Ravneet Kaur said enquiries primarily concern ticket refunds and baggage-related issues, and are being addressed promptly through the PACR, which operates on a 24x7 basis.