Compensation for passengers with delayed or canceled flights
The Ministry of Transport has just issued Circular No. 14/2015/TT-BGTVT regulating non-refundable advance compensation in air passenger transport in cases where passengers have been confirmed for a seat on a flight but are denied transportation or the flight is canceled or the flight is delayed due to the fault of the carrier.
The Circular stipulates that the compensation level for each passenger for domestic flights is 200,000 VND for flights with a flight length of less than 500 km; 300,000 VND for flights from 500 km to less than 1,000 km and 400,000 VND for flights of 1,000 km or more.
The compensation level for each passenger for international flights with a flight length of less than 1,000 km is 25 USD; flights from 1,000 km to less than 2,500 km is 50 USD; flights from 2,500 km to less than 5,000 km is 80 USD; flights from 5,000 km or more is 150 USD.
The carrier may prescribe a non-refundable advance compensation amount which shall not be lower than the amount prescribed above.
The carrier may compensate the passenger with non-refundable advance payment in cash; free tickets, compensation vouchers for continued use of the carrier's services or other free services in case the passenger accepts.
Or it can be by bank transfer or through other suitable payment intermediary services in case the passenger requests. For this method, the carrier is obliged to pay non-refundable advance compensation within 14 working days from the date of receipt of the passenger's request.
Exemption from compensation in certain cases:
The Circular also stipulates that carriers are exempted from the obligation to pay non-refundable advance compensation in cases of refusing to transport passengers who have tickets and have confirmed seats on the flight or are on the journey as prescribed in Article 146.Law on Civil Aviation of Vietnam, specifically as follows:
1- Due to the health condition of the passenger, the carrier finds that the transport or continued transport will cause harm to that passenger, to other people on the aircraft or cause harm to the flight;
2- To prevent the spread of disease;
3- Passengers do not comply with regulations on ensuring aviation safety, aviation security, air transport exploitation, and administrative sanctions for violations of civil aviation;
4- Passengers who commit acts that disrupt public order, threaten flight safety or affect the life, health or property of others;
5- Passengers are drunk on alcohol, beer or other stimulants and cannot control their behavior;
6- For security reasons notified by competent authorities;
7- At the request of competent state agencies.
In addition, the carrier is also exempted from the obligation to pay non-refundable advance compensation in case of flight cancellation or prolonged flight delay due to one of the following reasons: Weather conditions affecting the safe operation of the flight; security risks affecting the safe operation of the flight; the flight cannot be performed or is delayed for a long time according to the decision of a competent state agency; due to medical problems of the passenger (serious illness or death after boarding the aircraft)...
This Circular takes effect from July 1, 2015.
According to Chinhphu.vn
