RIYADH – In a major relief for the passengers, Saudi Arabia has announced that the compensation for the passengers in some cases related to flight cancellation, delay, etc. could be up to 150 to 200 percent of the original ticket value.
The kingdom announced new consumer rights protection amendments on Thursday that enable fliers to receive monetary compensation for a variety of airline or airport disruptions.
The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) announced the changes to “create a better passenger experience, supporting the Kingdom’s broader aviation sector growth objectives,” it said in a statement.
According to the fresh rules, in the case of flight delays, passengers will be able to cancel their journey and if the flight is canceled, overbooked or makes an unscheduled stopover, passengers will be able to claim up to 200 percent in compensation.
The compensation also caters to unique travel circumstances like Hajj and Umrah charter flights and so the pilgrims would be able to perform religious rituals hassle-free.
Meanwhile, passengers whose baggage was lost or damaged by the airline will be eligible to get monetary compensation up to $1,750 (SAR 6,568).
“These changes reflect GACA’s focus on putting the passenger first, by strengthening regulations that secure better service quality for passengers,” the Vice President of GACA for Quality and Passenger Experience, Abdulaziz al-Dahmash was quoted as saying in the statement.
“The regulations cover new ground in supporting passengers affected by travel disruptions and support the Kingdom’s broader Saudi Aviation Strategy growth agenda,” he added.
Although the rules appear to be pro-passengers, the aviation authority consulted the stakeholders, including the public, air service providers and international organizations before finalizing the regulations.
The rules will enter into force from November 20 this year and will address the complaints of the fliers for varying issues related to ticketing, boarding, in-flight services, baggage handling, and accessibility for passengers with special needs.
Saudi Arabia recently completed the Hajj operation and received appreciation from across the world for having handled such large number of pilgrims with the best possible arrangements.
