Data from FlightAware tracking indicates that at least 10,000 flights are delayed or cancelled daily globally. Kenyans are not spared from this inconvenience.
However, most Kenyans do not know how to get a refund for a cancelled flight. If requested within the stipulated time, as a passenger, you can get a refund for your flight.
According to a local airline, you are entitled to a refund if you cancel your flight within 24 hours after the initial booking time. If you purchased a refundable flight ticket, you are entitled to a full refund.
Additionally, as a passenger, you are entitled to compensation if the airline delays your flight by two or more hours or if the flight is cancelled less than 14 days before departure.
Flight cancellation can be done either online or via a call to the airline and eligible flight refunds are processed within 14 business days excluding the period fund will be transferred to your bank account.
In the unfortunate event that a passenger dies before boarding the booked flight, the family is entitled to a refund.
You are also entitled to cancel a flight within 24 hours of initial booking either online or physically. After the cancellation, you can request a refund from your airline provider.
In cases a passenger is moved to a lower class, you are entitled to a refund of the difference in fares.
According to the global real-time flight tracker, the pandemic was the primary cause of flights being delayed or cancelled. Kenya, among most countries globally, was in complete lockdown barring in and out movement.
Another reason for delayed or cancelled flights is a shortage of pilots. A report by Forbes indicated that most pilots are in a retirement phase and the aviation industry is fast losing personnel.
The retirement age for pilots in Kenya is 67 years, leaving a huge gap of unqualified ones in a country that produces very few aviators.
In 2020 when the pandemic struck, most airlines were forced to scale down their operations and ground hundreds of planes, and this affected the overall movement of people as cancellations hit a record high.
Two years later, global air travel has not yet resumed fully as there are constant flight disruptions.
