When airlines paid passengers they didn't fly

Last year, India's domestic air carriers collectively paid out Rs 47 crore as compensation to nearly 1.6 million passengers for delays, cancellations and denial of boarding.
Leading the pack was Jet Airways, which doled out Rs 27.30 crore to passengers, which constituted nearly 60 per cent of the total compensation paid out by airlines.

Air India's domestic service was a distant second, with payouts totalling Rs 8.60 crore in 2017 to 431,588 passengers.

SpiceJet, which has seen more ownership changes than any other airline in India, paid close to Rs 8 crore to passengers whose flights were delayed or cancelled, or those bumped off - apart from offering transfer to other airlines.

Air Asia, with damages totalling nearly Rs 1.60 crore, was the fourth highest payer of passenger compensation last year.

TruJet, a low-cost regional airline largely operating in southern and western India, paid Rs 86.31 lakh - the fifth highest compensation paid by airlines to irate passengers.

Indigo, which paid the lowest amount of compensation, of Rs 5.21 lakh - not counting Go Air, which paid absolutely nothing - also holds the dubious record of delaying the most number of passengers for more than two hours. More than half a million, or 5.35 lakh Indigo passengers' flights were delayed for more than two hours.