Aam Aadmi Party member Raghav Chadha on Tuesday demanded that airlines should compensate passengers for every hour of flight delay, saying that delays of three to four hours have become common.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha during a discussion on the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill 2024, which seeks to remove redundancies and replace the Aircraft Act, 1934, Chadha argued that airlines charge passengers thousands of rupees for allowing any excess baggage on flights.

The Aircraft Act has been amended 21 times till now.

"If there is an excess baggage of even one kilogram, airlines charge passengers thousands of rupees but do they compensate us for a flight delay of several hours," he asked, urging the aviation minister to create a mechanism whereby airlines compensate passengers for every hour of delay caused by them.

"Along with this (the proposed compensation) a monthly chart should be issued on the airlines that delayed passengers for how many hours and on which routes," he said.

He also raised the issue of lack of affordable food and beverage options and claimed that a duopoly exists in the aviation sector with two airlines controlling 90 per cent of the market share.

Chadha further raised the issue of the high prices of air tickets, saying that air travel should not become luxury travel for the countrymen.

He also spoke about the issue of "overcrowding" at Indian airports, which led to long queues for passengers.

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