More compensation for flight delays, lost baggage: How air travellers will benefit

Zee Media Bureau

The Carriage by Air (Amendment) Bill, providing for enhanced compensation to air travellers in case of death, injury, lost baggage or even inordinate delay in flights, was passed by Parliament on Friday.

Key facts of bill

-The Carriage by Air (Amendment) Bill, 2015 amends the Carriage by Air Act, 1972.  

-The Act regulates carriage by air and gives effect to the Warsaw Convention, 1929, the Warsaw Convention as amended by the Hague Protocol, 1955, and the Montreal Convention, 1999.  

-The Act also provides for application of the international rules to domestic travel, subject to exceptions and adaptations.

-The Montreal Convention establishes airline liability in the case of death, injury or delay to passengers or in cases of delay, damage or loss of baggage and cargo.  

-The Convention also provides for reviewing the limits of liability of the air carriers every five years.  

-The Bill seeks to amend the Act to adhere to the revised limits of liability.

-The Bill seeks to empower the central government to revise the limits of liability for airlines and compensation as per the Montreal Convention.  

-It also provides for the central government to make rules to carry out provisions of the Act.

The data below shows the limits of liability for airlines, as revised by the Montreal Convention:

(The revised notified limits as compared to the old limits are in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs))

-Damage sustained in case of death or bodily injury for each person: Old Limits: 100,000/ Revised Limits: 113,100
-Damage caused by delay in carriage for each person: Old Limits: 4,150/ Revised Limits: 4694
-Destruction, loss, damage or delay with respect to baggage for each person: Old Limits: 1,000/ Revised Limits: 1131
-Destruction, loss, damage or delay in relation to the carriage of cargo: Old Limits: 17/ Revised Limits: 19

Notes: 1 SDR = 88.78 Indian Rupee (as of August 7, 2015)