New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS) The 24×7 Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR) set up in the Ministry of Civil Aviation has resolved more than 13,000 passenger grievances through focused monitoring and expedited interventions since this month, a top official said on Sunday.

Expressing satisfaction over the working of the Ministry of Civil Aviation's PACR Secretary, Samir Kumar Sinha, said that more than 500 call-based interventions have also been undertaken to directly assist passengers during operational disruptions.

Grievances related to flight delays, cancellations, refunds and baggage issues are prioritised and addressed in accordance with the provisions of the Passenger Charter.

The centre has been set up with the objective of institutionalising a unified, future-ready mechanism for passenger assistance and crisis response.

Sinha added that the PACR functions as an integrated hub bringing together officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Airports Authority of India (AAI), airline operators and other key stakeholders under one roof at Udaan Bhawan in New Delhi.

"The PACR operates round-the-clock, continuously monitoring aviation operations, attending to passenger calls and coordinating real-time assistance and grievance resolution very efficiently and effectively," he said.

The AirSewa system has also been fully integrated into the PACR, enabling seamless handling of passenger grievances received through it.

An omni-channel technology backbone converts passenger inputs into actionable cases, supported by data-driven dashboards that provide live visibility on grievance types, timelines and stakeholder actions.

The physical presence of airline representatives within the Control Room allows immediate coordination and on-the-spot resolution of issues.

The marked improvement in the speed, transparency and effectiveness of grievance redressal has received positive feedback from air passengers and stakeholders alike.

Secretary Sinha said, "The Ministry of Civil Aviation reaffirmed its commitment to further strengthen the PACR by providing dedicated manpower, enhanced technological support and improved logistical facilities, ensuring that the system continues to serve passengers with empathy, efficiency and accountability at all times."

The PACR is anchored in a clear vision to place the passenger at the centre of India's civil aviation ecosystem.

It is guided by the principles of passenger first, collaborative action, stakeholder convergence and a future-ready, technology-driven framework that enables real-time coordination, data-supported decision-making and scalable operations for sustained improvement in passenger assistance, according to an official statement.

Top officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, AAI and DGCA are closely monitoring the functioning of the control to ensure that it functions effectively, the statement said.

India's aviation sector has witnessed phenomenal growth over the past decade, particularly the last 11 years, leading to a sharp rise in passenger traffic and connectivity.

While this expansion has brought significant success, it has also resulted in persistent challenges such as flight delays, refund-related grievances, baggage-related issues, congestion, long queues and inadequate passenger facilities at peak hours.

These challenges underscored the need for a structured, coordinated and real-time response mechanism to address these passenger centric issues, the statement added.

--IANS

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