Govt launches AirSewa website and app to track flights, register complaints

The aviation ministry on Friday launched the AirSewa portal and mobile app that will include a mechanism for grievance redressal, back-office operations for grievance handling, flight status and airport information.

Aviation minister Ashok Gajpathi Raju said the government was committed to provide a hassle-free and comfortable air travel experience; to do this it was necessary to recognise the pattern of problems that people face, and make suitable systemic improvements.

“AirSewa is an initiative of the ministry to offer people a convenient and hassle-free air travel experience,” he said.

Minister of state for aviation, Jayant Sinha, said that flight delays, refunds, long queues and lack of proper facilities at airports and complaints of lost baggage were the most common problems that air travellers faced. He stressed upon the need to respond to these problems in a systematic, rather than an ad hoc, manner. Sinha said AirSewa was an attempt to provide such a systematic approach to redressing passenger grievances.

Sinha said that although it was a major challenge to get the various players who are a part of the civil aviation ecosystem on to a common platform, this has been achieved through AirSewa.

“With AirSewa, passengers will be able to register their grievances through the mobile app or a web portal. The users will have the facility to upload voice or video along with an elaborate description of their issues. They will be given a unique reference number for each of their reported grievances which would also be communicated through an email as well as an SMS,” said an official.

Users will be provided a reference number provided to track the status and response to their grievances on the mobile and web app. Once the grievance is closed, the user has an option to provide feedback and rate the overall experience and satisfaction.

Nodal officers have been selected to address the grievances raised. Each communication made by the nodal officer will be sent through an email and SMS alert.