NEWS| Travel cos seek govt help to get dues from MDLR

This was a big fear stalking the aviation industry — how will passengers and travel agents, who bought tickets for travelling and sale respectively, get refunds from an airline that stops all its flights? MDLR, a north Indian regional carrier suspended operations this October. Big travel agencies had bought tickets in advance from the airline.

Four big agencies, claiming to have purchased advance tickets and made refunds to passengers, worth Rs 75 lakh have sought government help in the matter after reportedly failing to get their money from the airline.

“We had advance tickets worth Rs 17.5 lakh and refunded Rs 6 lakh to passengers who had bought tickets from us. The combine dues of four big agencies, including Yatra and Make My Trip, is almost Rs 75 lakh. The amount would almost double if all other agents are added. We have given refunds to passengers from our pockets and the airline is not paying us up,” said Akash Poddar of Travel Boutique Online. Poddar and other agents have now written to DGCA and the aviation ministry.

MDLR chairman Gopal Goyal, who contested the recent Haryana assembly polls and is now the state’s home minister, said the airline will restart operations from December 15.

Saurabh Sinha/Times of India