What is AirSewa?
AirSewa is the Government of India's official grievance portal for civil aviation passengers, launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in 2016. It acts as an intermediary between you, the airline, and DGCA — pushing the airline to respond and escalating to the regulator if needed. The portal is free, available 24×7, and accepts complaints in English and Hindi.
When should I use AirSewa (vs going direct to the airline)?
| Situation | Use airline first | Use AirSewa |
|---|---|---|
| Initial complaint about a flight issue | ✓ Always | Any time — commonly escalated after ~15 days of no response |
| Airline customer care unresponsive (no reply in 15 days) | — | ✓ Escalate |
| Airline refused compensation you're entitled to | — | ✓ Escalate |
| Refund delayed beyond DGCA timeline (7 days for cards; 14 working days for agent/OTA bookings — Refund CAR, eff. 26 Mar 2026) | — | ✓ Escalate |
| Safety / regulatory concern | — | ✓ Direct (or CPGRAMS → MoCA/DGCA) |
| Pricing dispute / fare-rule interpretation | ✓ Only | ✗ Not within AirSewa scope |
| Visa / passport issuance issue | — | ✗ Not within scope (airport-agency grievances — Immigration, Customs, BCAS — ARE accepted) |
Step-by-step: filing an AirSewa complaint
- Try the airline first. Call customer care and email the airline's Nodal Officer / grievance address (every Indian airline must publish these on its website per DGCA CAR S3 M-IV). Keep written records. No waiting period is mandated before AirSewa — but giving the airline ~15 days is common practice.
- Register on AirSewa. Visit airsewa.gov.in or download the AirSewa app from Google Play / App Store. Register with email + phone number. OTP verification is instant.
- File the complaint. Select category (delay / cancellation / baggage / refund / denied boarding / accessibility / conduct). Enter PNR, date of incident, and a brief description. Attach: original ticket, boarding pass (if any), email exchanges, photos (for damaged baggage), receipts (for out-of-pocket expenses).
- Track via complaint number. AirSewa assigns a unique reference. Track status on the portal anytime. Airlines must respond within 30 days per AirSewa SLA. Most issues resolve in 21-45 days.
- Escalate if AirSewa fails. Options: (a) the airline's Appellate Authority (contact published on its website, per DGCA CAR), (b) consumer commission via E-Daakhil (edaakhil.nic.in) — court fee nil up to ₹5 lakh; or dial NCH 1915 first for free pre-litigation mediation, (c) CPGRAMS (pgportal.gov.in) for MoCA/DGCA regulatory matters, (d) credit-card chargeback under "service not rendered".
What complaint categories does AirSewa accept?
- Flight delay
- Flight cancellation (refund or rebooking issues)
- Denied boarding (overbooking / involuntary)
- Lost, delayed, or damaged baggage
- Refund delay (beyond DGCA timelines: credit cards 7 days, cash immediate, travel-agent/portal bookings 14 working days — Refund CAR effective 26 Mar 2026)
- Service quality (cabin crew conduct, meal quality, seat issues)
- Accessibility (disabled passenger assistance failures, wheelchair, sign language)
- Crew misconduct (passenger safety / dignity issues)
- In-flight medical emergency response
- Passenger conduct / safety complaints
Required documents
Mandatory:
- PNR / booking reference number
- Your name, email, phone number (for AirSewa to contact you)
- Brief description of the issue
- Date of incident
Strongly recommended (improves resolution speed):
- Original e-ticket (PDF)
- Boarding pass (if you had one)
- Email exchanges with airline customer care
- Photos (essential for damaged baggage claims)
- Receipts (for out-of-pocket expenses you want reimbursed — food, hotel, transport)
- Bank statement showing payment for the ticket
Resolution timeline
| Complaint category | Typical resolution time |
|---|---|
| Lost / damaged baggage | 14-21 days |
| Refund delay | 30-45 days |
| Denied boarding compensation | 30 days |
| Flight delay / cancellation | 30-45 days |
| Service quality / conduct | 21-30 days |
| Accessibility / assistance failure | 14-30 days |
These are indicative editorial estimates from observed complaint patterns — AirSewa publishes no official per-category SLA. The airline-response expectation is ~30 days.
What to do if AirSewa fails
If the airline still doesn't comply after AirSewa intervention, you have four escalation routes:
- District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (DCDRC). File online at E-Daakhil (edaakhil.nic.in) or in person at your district commission — court fee nil up to ₹5 lakh claims. Before litigating, the National Consumer Helpline (dial 1915, or consumerhelpline.gov.in) offers free pre-litigation mediation. Resolution takes several months (the CPA 2019 targets ~3 months; real-world timelines are often longer).
- CPGRAMS (Government grievance portal). For safety, regulatory, or compliance issues addressed to MoCA/DGCA, file at pgportal.gov.in. (DGCA's own website has no passenger complaint form — AirSewa and CPGRAMS are the official channels.)
- Airline Appellate Authority. Every Indian airline must appoint a Nodal Officer AND an Appellate Authority for passenger grievances (DGCA CAR Section 3 Series M Part IV) and display their contacts on its website. If the Nodal Officer's response fails you, write to the Appellate Authority — this is the formal second tier inside the airline.
- Credit-card chargeback. For ticket refunds the airline has refused to issue, contact your credit-card issuer (HDFC, SBI, ICICI, Axis, etc.) and file a "service not rendered" chargeback. Independent of the airline; typically takes 1-3 months (card-network dependent).
Frequently asked questions
What is AirSewa?
AirSewa is the Ministry of Civil Aviation's official passenger grievance portal at airsewa.gov.in. It's free, online, available 24×7, and acts as a direct escalation route between passengers, airlines, and DGCA. You can file at any time — no waiting period is mandated — though raising it with the airline first (commonly ~15 days) is good practice.
How to file complaint against airline India?
Step 1: Raise it with the airline (customer care + its Nodal Officer grievance email — every Indian airline must publish these; keep written records). Step 2: If unresolved (commonly after ~15 days), escalate to AirSewa (airsewa.gov.in) — register, file the complaint with PNR, attach proof. Step 3: If AirSewa fails after ~30 days, use the airline's Appellate Authority or file at the consumer commission via E-Daakhil (edaakhil.nic.in); dial NCH 1915 for free pre-litigation mediation. Step 4: For safety/regulatory issues, file on CPGRAMS (pgportal.gov.in) to MoCA/DGCA.
How long does AirSewa take to resolve a complaint?
Airlines are expected to respond within ~30 days of an AirSewa complaint. In practice most issues resolve in roughly 21-45 days depending on complexity — these are indicative patterns, not official per-category SLAs. Baggage issues tend to resolve fastest; refund escalations take longer. You can track status anytime on the portal.
What complaints does AirSewa handle?
AirSewa accepts: flight delay, cancellation, denied boarding, lost/delayed/damaged baggage, refund delays, service quality issues, accessibility complaints, crew conduct, in-flight medical emergencies, and disabled-passenger assistance failures — plus grievances against airport agencies (Immigration, Customs, BCAS, security). It does NOT handle pricing disputes, fare-rule interpretation, or visa/passport issuance (those go to the airline or the issuing authority).
Is AirSewa complaint free?
Yes — completely free. No registration fee, no filing fee, no charges of any kind. You only need a valid email address and phone number to register. The portal also has a mobile app (iOS + Android) for easier filing.
Can I file an AirSewa complaint anonymously?
No — AirSewa requires your name, email, phone, and PNR (or booking reference) for verification. However, your details are not shared publicly. The airline only sees what is necessary to investigate the complaint (PNR + nature of the issue).
What documents do I need for an AirSewa complaint?
Mandatory: PNR / booking reference, your name and contact, brief description of the issue, date of incident. Strongly recommended: copy of original ticket, boarding pass (if you had one), email exchanges with the airline, photos (for damaged baggage), receipts (for out-of-pocket expenses you want reimbursed).
What if AirSewa cannot resolve my complaint?
Escalate to: (1) the airline's Appellate Authority (contact published on its website per DGCA CAR — the formal tier above its Nodal Officer). (2) The consumer commission (DCDRC) — file online at E-Daakhil (edaakhil.nic.in), court fee nil up to ₹5 lakh; the National Consumer Helpline (1915 / consumerhelpline.gov.in) offers free pre-litigation mediation first. (3) CPGRAMS (pgportal.gov.in) for safety/regulatory matters to MoCA/DGCA. (4) Credit-card chargeback under "service not rendered" for refunds the airline has refused.
Sources
- Ministry of Civil Aviation — AirSewa Portal (airsewa.gov.in)
- DGCA CAR Section 3 Series M Part IV — Nodal Officers & Appellate Authority (para 3.9.4) + Part II — Refunds (Feb 2026, effective 26 Mar 2026)
- Consumer Protection Act 2019 — Section 34 (District Commission jurisdiction)
- National Consumer Helpline — consumerhelpline.gov.in
Related: How to claim flight delay compensation · Denied boarding compensation rights · Lost baggage claim guide