New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has raised concerns over the Union government’s handling of air passenger complaints, questioning the Civil Aviation Ministry’s claim that 97 per cent of grievances have been addressed.

In a post on X on Thursday, Tharoor said the ministry has not clarified what it means by “addressed” and whether complaints are genuinely resolved to passenger satisfaction or merely acknowledged and closed in official records.

“While the Civil Aviation Ministry claims that 97 per cent of grievances have been addressed, it has not disclosed what 'addressed' actually entails: whether resolved to passenger satisfaction or merely acknowledged,” he said.

Call for transparency in airline complaint redressal

Tharoor argued that without clarity on outcomes, the reported grievance disposal rate offers little insight into the effectiveness of the aviation grievance redressal system. He said there is no indication of whether passengers’ concerns are meaningfully resolved or simply marked as closed.

The Congress leader also criticised the absence of airline-wise complaint data, details of penalties imposed on carriers, or regulatory action taken to improve passenger services.

Without such transparency, he said, it becomes difficult to hold airlines and regulators accountable for service lapses.

No fast-track system for urgent complaints

Tharoor further expressed concern over the lack of a fast-track mechanism for urgent grievances. He said that despite specific queries regarding complaints that cannot wait 72 hours, the ministry has not outlined any special protocol, escalation process or time-bound benchmarks.

According to him, this raises questions about the enforceability and responsiveness of the existing civil aviation passenger grievance mechanism.

Demand for stronger oversight in the aviation sector

Tharoor urged the Centre to publish comprehensive data on pending and resolved complaints, establish clear escalation procedures and introduce measurable accountability standards for airlines.

He stressed that grievance redressal must move beyond procedural claims and translate into tangible, verifiable protection for passengers.

“Our citizens deserve answers every time they take to our skies,” he said, underscoring the need for greater transparency and stronger regulatory oversight in India’s aviation sector.

IANS