AirSewa is the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s grievance platform, available as a website and a mobile app. You register a complaint against an airline or airport, it is routed to that operator for a response, and the record is visible to the ministry and DGCA. AirSewa is not a court: it cannot order compensation or force a refund.
Updated July 2026 · HappyFares
AirSewa gets recommended constantly in airport queues and comment threads, usually with wildly different ideas of what it does. Here is what the portal is, what it handles well, and where it stops.
What exactly is AirSewa?
AirSewa is a grievance and information platform run by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. It exists so that a passenger has one government-facing place to log a complaint about air travel, instead of hunting for the right desk at an airline, an airport operator or a security agency. Alongside grievances, it carries flight status, airport information and FAQ content.
The platform has been through more than one version, and the app and web layouts have changed over the years, so screenshots you find online may not match what you see. Reach it through the current portal and app linked from the ministry’s website rather than through a search result you cannot verify.
One thing worth being clear about from the start: AirSewa is a facilitation and monitoring channel. It pushes your complaint to the operator responsible and keeps a record of the exchange. It does not adjudicate your claim.
What can you raise on AirSewa?
The grievance categories generally cover the whole airport journey rather than only the flight itself. Exact category names shift between versions, so pick the closest fit and explain the rest in the description box.
- Flight problems: delays, cancellations, diversions and missed connections
- Ticketing and refunds, including money that was approved but never credited
- Baggage: delayed, damaged, pilfered or lost bags
- Staff behaviour at check-in, boarding or on board
- Accessibility and assistance for passengers with reduced mobility, including wheelchair support
- Airport facilities such as trolleys, washrooms, drinking water, food pricing and parking
- Security and screening experiences, which are routed to the relevant agency
- Cargo related issues
Complaints about a travel agent or an online travel site sit in an awkward place. AirSewa routes to airlines, airports and aviation agencies, so if your dispute is really with the seller of the ticket, raise it with that company as well and keep both threads alive.
How do you file a grievance on AirSewa?
You register on the portal or app with a mobile number or email address, then create the grievance. Have your flight details ready before you start, because a complaint without a PNR and a date is hard for anyone to trace at the airline’s end.
- Create an account and verify it with the code sent to you
- Choose the grievance type and the airline, airport or agency concerned
- Enter the flight number, date, sector and PNR or booking reference
- Describe what happened in plain, dated sentences and say what outcome you want
- Upload supporting files: boarding pass, receipts, photos, the PIR for baggage, earlier email replies
- Submit, then save the grievance or reference number that is generated
Complain to the airline first if you can. A grievance that quotes an existing airline case number and the reply you got is far stronger than one that starts from scratch, because it shows the operator has already had a chance to fix it.
What happens after you submit a complaint?
Your grievance is passed to the operator you named, typically landing with the nodal grievance team at that airline or airport. You get status updates through the portal, and you can usually reopen or escalate a case within the platform if the response does not address the issue. Keep an eye on it, because a case that is closed without your input can be reopened more easily while it is recent.
There is no publicly promised resolution deadline that applies uniformly to every complaint, so treat the airline’s own published grievance turnaround as your benchmark and follow up in writing when it passes. Sustained silence is itself useful evidence if you go further later.
Visibility is the real value here. DGCA publishes monthly air transport statistics that include passenger complaint numbers for scheduled airlines, so grievance volumes are a matter of public record rather than something an airline can quietly absorb.
What can AirSewa not do?
It cannot award you money. It cannot overrule a fare rule you agreed to at booking, force an airline to accept liability, or reverse an operational decision after the fact. It is also not the right channel for an emergency in progress: if something is going wrong at the terminal right now, the airline’s airport manager, the duty officer or the airport’s own help desk is faster.
When AirSewa and the airline’s appellate authority both come back with no, the remaining route is a consumer commission under the Consumer Protection Act 2019, which can be approached online through the e-Daakhil portal. Your AirSewa grievance number and the operator’s replies become part of that file, which is one more reason to log the complaint properly the first time.
Common Questions
Does AirSewa cost anything?
No. Registering and filing a grievance on the portal or the app is free. Only the effort of assembling your documents is on you. Be wary of any third party offering to file an AirSewa complaint on your behalf for a fee, since the process is designed for passengers to use directly.
Do I need an account to use it?
To file and track a grievance, yes, you register with a mobile number or email. General information such as flight status and airport details is usually browsable without signing in. Use contact details you actually check, because updates and verification codes go there.
How long does an AirSewa complaint take?
It depends on the operator and the type of issue. Baggage and refund cases often move on the airline’s internal timeline rather than the portal’s. Save your reference number, follow up in writing when the airline’s own published turnaround has passed, and keep every reply.
Can AirSewa get my refund released?
It can push the airline to act and it creates a record, which sometimes unlocks a stuck refund. It cannot compel payment. If a refund is genuinely due and still refused after the airline’s appellate authority, a consumer commission is the enforcement route.
Should I use AirSewa for lost baggage?
File the Property Irregularity Report at the airport first, before you leave the arrivals area. That document is what the airline’s baggage system runs on. An AirSewa grievance afterwards is useful for chasing a claim that has gone quiet, but it does not replace the PIR.
Is AirSewa the same as DGCA?
No. AirSewa is a Ministry of Civil Aviation platform. DGCA is the regulator that frames the civil aviation requirements airlines must follow. The two are connected, since the regulator can see complaint patterns, but you do not file a personal money claim with DGCA.
Booking your next trip? Compare fares, timings and baggage rules across airlines on HappyFares, so the fine print is clear before you pay rather than after something goes wrong.
Portal features, categories and grievance timelines change; verify current specifics with the airline, DGCA or the airport before you travel.
