Complains against an Air Carrier/ Travel Agencies or Airport
If you are aggrieved by services or products offered by a person or an organization holding a licence, certificate or approval issued by the Director General of Civil Aviation, you may lodge a complaint against such person or organization to the Director General of Civil Aviation.
How to send a complaint Click to collapse
You may mail or send a fax to the Authority at:
The Director General /CEO,
Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka,
No. 152/1, Minuwangoda Road
Katunayake.
Fax: +94 112 257 1 54
Email: sldgca [at] caa.lk
Is there anything I should do before I submit a complaint
You should collect all your facts, receipts, names and phone numbers of people to whom you spoke and, most importantly, a copy of your ticket. Having this information at hand will assist in the expeditious review of your complaint. Approaching the carrier with your concerns is often a good idea as many problems can be handled quite quickly that way. In the end if you feel that you have a justifiable complaint, or if you are not satisfied with how the airline has resolved your complaint, you may bring it to the attention of the Authority.
Do I need to complain to the carrier first?
In many instances, issues or problems may be dealt with quite quickly and simply by bringing the situation to the attention of the carrier first. Some issues such as quality of service provided by an airline should first be brought to the carrier's attention before the Authority will be able to address your complaint.
What if I don't have all the information?
While it would be helpful to have as much information as possible concerning your air travel arrangements or any other pertinent information, it does not prevent you from filing your complaint. However, you may encounter delays while staff researches the information that is needed to deal with the complaint. In some cases, it may be impossible to make a determination without sufficient relevant information.
What needs to be included in my complaint?
The more details you can provide in your complaint, the more easily the matter can be resolved. Please see the complaint forms for details on the type of information, which you should provide for different types of complaints.
If you do not have all the information that the form requires at the time of filing, but it may take extra time to find that information and process your complaint.
Is there a time limit to file a complaint?
No, but in practical terms it is better to bring the matter to the carrier's or Authority’s attention as early as possible. The older a complaint, the more difficult it may be to obtain necessary documents, records, or information.{slide=Are there any fees/costs to process my complaint?}There is no charge to file a complaint with the Authority
Once I file my complaint, what happens?
When the Authority receives a complaint, a few things must be verified before the complaint can be processed.
First, the complaint is examined to determine if it falls within the jurisdiction of any other
government department or agency. If so, then it will be referred to the appropriate organization, and at the same time you will be notified where it has been sent.
Then, it must be verified that you have first raised the issue with the air carrier. If you have not, then your complaint will be forwarded to the airline on your behalf to give the carrier the opportunity to resolve it.
If you are still not satisfied with the way in which the airline handled your complaint, then the Authority can will get involved. The nature of the complaint and the outcome that you seek will be determining factors in how the Authority deals with your complaint.
Your complaint will be reviewed to ensure that it is clear and complete. It is possible to expedite matters if you collect all the facts, receipts, names and numbers of people who were involved and, most importantly, a copy of the ticket. Having this information at hand will greatly assist in the review and resolution of your complaint.
Once the Authority has received all your relevant information, it will be forwarded to the carrier to give the airline a chance to respond. Should the air carrier raise any new issue or information, then you may be asked to respond. The Authority will try, whenever possible, to arrive at a solution acceptable to both parties.
Even if your particular complaint cannot be resolved, it will prove useful in assisting the Authority to analyze issues for the airline industry.
If you are curious about the status of your complaint at any time, you may call the Authority staff assigned to your case, using your case reference number, to get an update.
How long does it take?
The Authority procedures for a regulatory complaint require a resolution within 60 days unless an extension is agreed to by all parties. The length of the complaint process will depend heavily on the complexity of the complaint, on the quality and accuracy of information that is provided, and the type of outcome you seek.
It is possible to expedite matters if you collect all the facts, receipts, names and numbers of people who were involved and, most importantly, a copy of the ticket. Having this information at hand will greatly assist in the review and resolution of your complaint.
