Why India still has no national contingency protocol for airline shutdowns and what that means for passengers

When Jet Airways collapsed in 2019, India saw a sudden loss of capacity and a scramble to re-route passengers. Yet no clear, India-wide contingency standard operating procedure (SOP) for large airline shutdowns or prolonged network meltdowns emerged from that crisis. Fast forward to the current Indigo disruptions, and the same holes in the system are painfully visible, where passengers have little guaranteed protection, airlines aren’t forced to provide alternate carriage, and mandatory cash compensation for delays or long cancellations does not exist.

What passengers expect and what they don’t get? 

Normal travellers expect a simple promise. If my flight is cancelled, the airline will either get me to my destination soon after, or refund my money and provide meaningful help like meals, hotels, and, at the very least, 'rebooking’. In many parts of the world, regulators back that promise with rules. The European Union’s Regulation 261/2004, for example, requires airlines to offer re-routing, refunds, or compensation in many cancellation cases. In the United States, specific rules force airlines to adopt tarmac-delay contingency plans and lay out basic obligations. These frameworks give passengers predictability and leverage.

India’s framework is patchy and passenger protection is limited

India does have guidance, for instance, the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s passenger charter and DGCA advisories tell passengers what they should expect, and consumer law allows passengers to approach forums for redress. But these are weaker than hard, actionable rules.

There is no blanket requirement that an airline must arrange alternative carriage with another operator when it cancels flights at scale; there is no statutory rule that forces cash compensation for long delays or cancellations for domestic flights, and enforcement is often slow and case-by-case. That leaves everyday travellers, especially the holidaymakers, people travelling for weddings, patients, and office commuters, exposed during peak seasons.

Why policymakers still haven’t built a national contingency SOP?

There are three linked reasons. First, India’s aviation market has been growth-focused: expanding capacity, encouraging low fares, and new routes have been the priority. Second, making hard rules about compensation or forced alternative carriage is politically and economically sensitive; regulators worry such rules could raise ticket prices or hit fragile carriers.

Lastly, enforcement infrastructure is limited; for example, setting up real-time oversight, passenger hotlines, or a system to compel airlines to buy slots or seats from competitors during a crisis requires coordination between DGCA, airports, airlines, and the courts. The result is policy inertia.

What this means on the ground today

When an airline with a dominant market share falters, passengers feel it everywhere; trains sell out, buses get overcrowded, fares on surviving airlines spike, and many people are forced into expensive private travel. During the wedding and holiday seasons, which are the busiest travel windows, these failures are not an inconvenience. They can wreck livelihoods, important family events, and medical journeys. The common traveller ends up bearing the cost and stress while regulatory fixes come slowly.

So, where can we start? How can India build a practical contingency SOP with a passenger-first approach that is simple and easy to operate?

For starters, authorities can create mandatory contingency plans for large carriers. This will require airlines above a size threshold to have an approved “network recovery” plan, one that is similar to the US rule for tarmac delays, and to publish it.

In extreme network disruptions, DGCA could mandate that affected carriers buy seats on other airlines or offer government-facilitated alternative transport for stranded passengers.

More importantly, there should be very clear compensation rules for long cancellations or delays. Even a modest cash floor for multi-hour cancellations would pressure carriers to improve resilience and give passengers a guaranteed remedy.

The Indian government also needs to fast-track redress and a crisis control room. A 24/7 central control room with real-time data from airlines and airports would speed decisions on slot reallocation and resource sharing. DGCA has used control rooms before; to start with, the DGCA can make that permanent during crises.

All in all, India’s aviation sector has grown fast, but crisis rules have not kept pace with the exponential growth. Without a national contingency SOP that puts passengers first, ordinary travellers will keep paying the price when airline networks stall. Policymakers can choose to make rules that protect people now, and that will make the system more resilient the next time an airline stumbles. For passengers, the ask is simple, predictable relief, timely alternatives, and compensation that is not left to chance.