India Launches 24×7 Control Room to Tackle Flight Delays, Refund Issues

India’s rapid aviation expansion has placed increasing pressure on airport systems, exposing recurring gaps such as long queues, overcrowding, flight delays, refund disputes, baggage complaints and the absence of timely passenger support during peak operations.

These issues came into sharp focus during the recent IndiGo schedule collapse and widespread delays caused by dense winter fog.

Travellers were repeatedly left without updates, assistance or clarity during operational meltdowns, prompting calls for structural reform in how airports and airlines respond during crises.

In response to that, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has set up a permanent 24×7 Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR), designed to provide a coordinated, real-time and structured mechanism for handling passenger-related disruptions.

The move has been initiated under Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, with Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha leading the rollout.

Located at Udaan Bhawan in New Delhi, the PACR brings officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Airports Authority of India (AAI), airline operators and other stakeholders into a single operational hub.

Samir Kumar Sinha stated that “The PACR operates round-the-clock, continuously monitoring aviation operations, attending to passenger calls and coordinating real-time assistance and grievance resolution very efficiently and effectively.”

A major enhancement is the full integration of AirSewa, enabling passenger complaints received through the platform to be seamlessly converted into cases via an omni-channel tech system.

Data-driven dashboards provide live visibility on the nature of issues, response timelines and actions taken. With airline representatives present inside the control room, resolutions can be offered on the spot.

Since its operational start on 3 December 2025, more than 13,000 grievances have been resolved, along with over 500 call-based interventions during service disruptions.

Matters related to delays, cancellations, refunds and baggage are prioritised as per the Passenger Charter.

The Ministry said it will strengthen PACR further through additional manpower, advanced technology and improved logistics to ensure assistance is delivered.