New Delhi: Amid TV news alerts, ringing telephones and a live stream of social media complaints, the newly set up Passenger Assistance Control Room at Udaan Bhawan in the Safdarjung Airport area works round the clock to address distressed airline passengers' grievances.
For an average flyer, the control room is intended to cut down the waiting and uncertainty that often follow a disruption. Instead of repeatedly chasing updates, passengers are now contacted by the teams handling their complaints. Those working here said recent cases had mostly involved flight cancellations and delays caused by winter fog, along with some confusion over baggage handling.
Officials said the control room was set up after the recent IndiGo crisis highlighted gaps in aviation grievance redressal, particularly delays between complaints lodged on the AirSewa platform and responses from private airlines. The new facility brings airline representatives together with officials from the Union civil aviation ministry, Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Airports Authority of India.
The centre functions through six teams working in three shifts, with one to three representatives from each airline present during every shift. While most airline staff are deployed during the morning shift from 8am to 2pm, officials said 29 to 35 people are present at any given time. The mechanism is activated when complaints are received through the AirSewa portal, email, social media or calls. Each complaint is allocated through software to one of the six teams. The team coordinates with the airline representative to check the status and relays updates to the complainant. The airline also engages directly with the flyer.
"We know passengers are already stressed, so we speak to them calmly, understand their concerns and coordinate with the airline," said Vidushika, a team member. Airline representatives said working alongside the AirSewa teams had improved coordination. "It makes communicating with customers easier and reduces delays in sharing information," said Priyanka Chaudhary, who recently moved to the control room after three years with an airline.
Civil aviation secretary Samir Kumar Sinha said the approach aimed to ensure timely information sharing and quicker grievance redressal. Civil aviation deputy director general Pramod Kumar Thakur said, "The recent disruptions underscored the need for a passenger-first approach."
Since Dec 3, 10,094 complaints received through the AirSewa portal have been resolved. In addition, 1,291 complaints received via AirSewa email and 1,676 through social media and calls since Dec 10 have been addressed. Officials said 534 call-based interventions were made.
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Khushi Bhuta is a reporter based in New Delhi. She has prior repo...
Read MoreKhushi Bhuta is a reporter based in New Delhi. She has prior reporting experience in her hometown Mumbai along with Chennai and Pune. She focuses closely on urban ground realities, particularly issues around crime and public safety. Her work revolves around lived experiences and the everyday impact of city systems.
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