3 weeks ago
Kerala man wins Rs 1.36 lakh Air India missed-flight payout
A man from Kerala, India, needed to fly to Riyadh.
His first flight was from Thiruvananthapuram to Mumbai.
That flight was more than three hours late.
Because of the delay, he missed his next flight to Riyadh.
He had to stay at the Mumbai airport for almost a whole day.
A special court called a consumer forum said airlines must take care of passengers who miss their flights.
The court said the airline should have told the man about the delay and helped him.
The court did not see any proof that the airline did either of those things.
So the court ordered Air India to pay the man Rs 1.36 lakh.
Air India said it tried to put him on another flight, but there were no seats available.
A Kerala man was awarded Rs 1.36 lakh in compensation by the Thiruvananthapuram Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission after an over-three-hour delay made him miss his connecting Air India flight to Riyadh.
The passenger was left stranded at Mumbai airport for nearly 24 hours after missing his confirmed connection.
The commission ruled that airlines are duty-bound to take care of passengers who miss connecting flights and to provide timely information about delays and valid reasons for them.
Air India said its Mumbai airport manager made efforts to accommodate the man on the next available flight to Riyadh, but no seats were available.
The July 15 order noted Air India officials produced no evidence that they informed the passenger about the delay or provided assistance, causing monetary loss and mental agony.
- Who
- A Kerala man travelling to Riyadh, Air India, and the Thiruvananthapuram Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
- What
- Air India was directed to pay Rs 1.36 lakh in compensation after a delayed flight caused the man to miss his confirmed connecting flight to Riyadh.
- Where
- Thiruvananthapuram and Mumbai, India; the passenger was stranded at Mumbai airport.
- When
- The consumer forum's order was dated July 15; the date of the flight itself was not specified.
- Why
- The airline failed to provide timely information about the delay or assist the passenger, causing monetary loss and mental agony, and the commission held airlines duty-bound to care for passengers who miss connections.
Consumer Forum Ruling
Airline's Defense
Passenger notification and assistance
Consumer Forum Ruling
Air India officials produced no evidence that they informed the passenger about the flight delay or assisted him, so the airline must compensate him for monetary loss and mental agony.
Airline's Defense
Air India's Mumbai airport manager made efforts to accommodate the man on the next available flight to Riyadh, but no seats were available.
Key facts
- Compensation
- Rs 1.36 lakh, ordered to be paid by Air India
- Flight delay
- Over three hours on the Thiruvananthapuram-Mumbai route
- Missed connection
- Connecting flight to Riyadh
- Time stranded
- Nearly 24 hours at Mumbai airport
- Ruling body
- Thiruvananthapuram Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
- Order date
- July 15
- Airline defense
- Mumbai airport manager tried to accommodate the man on the next Riyadh flight, but no seats were available
Quotes
President P V Jayarajan
Chairperson of the Thiruvananthapuram Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
“In this case, the opposite parties 1 to 4 (Air India officials) have not produced any evidence to prove that they have intimated the passenger regarding the delay of the flight nor regarding the assistance given to the passenger. The husband of the complainant has suffered monetary loss and mental agony due to the act of opposite parties 1 to 4.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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