The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued an order to Yatra Online Limited, directing the company to hasten the refund process for flight cancellations that occurred due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

What Happened: The CCPA initiated action against Yatra after receiving a multitude of complaints via the National Consumer Helpline about the non-refund of cancelled air tickets during the COVID-19 lockdown. Yatra was served a Show Cause Notice on March 9, 2021, concerning the delay in these refunds.

The CCPA conducted several hearings between July 8, 2021, and June 25, 2024, to address these issues. Consequently, Yatra has made considerable progress in decreasing the total number of pending refund bookings. In 2021, there were 36,276 pending bookings amounting to ₹26.25 crore. By June 21, 2024, this number has dropped to 4,837 bookings, amounting to ₹2.52 crore.

See Also: SEBI Committees New Suggestions Could Hit Futures And Options Trading Volumes: Report

In 2021, there were a total of 5,771 bookings related to airlines pending refunds amounting to ₹9.60 crore. By 2024, Yatra had reduced the pendency of airlines to 98 bookings with an outstanding amount of ₹31.79 lakh.

To further expedite the processing of refunds, the CCPA issued an order on June 27, 2024, instructing Yatra to establish dedicated arrangements at the National Consumer Helpline. Yatra is mandated to allocate five exclusive seats at NCH for making calls to the remaining 4,837 passengers, informing them that their pending refunds will be processed. The costs incurred for engaging these five dedicated personnel will be entirely borne by Yatra.

Read Next: Motilal Oswal Takes Bullish View On ONGC GAIL Ahead Of Earnings