The case dates back to the year 2023 when a father-daughter duo was travelling on an Air India Delhi-New York flight which turned into a journey of "mental agony and harassment".
In a significant ruling for the passengers, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal at New Delhi has directed that the duo be paid Rs 1.5 lakh as compensation. The order has penalised the airline for "deficiency of service" on the long journey from New Delhi to New York.
The commission, led by President Poonam Chaudhry and member Shekhar Chandra, stated that the airline did not provide the basic facilities for which a considerable amount had been charged.
Also Read | DGCA fines IndiGo Rs 22.2 crore over December disruptions, airline issues statement
The complaint
The plaint filed by Shailendra Bhatnagar describes an awful trip when he took a flight with his daughter from Delhi to New York in 2023. He purchased economy class tickets for the trip and experienced a myriad of problems with the nearly 15-hour flight.
Bhatnagar described the problems on board like broken seats and uncomfortable seating, call buttons that did not work and entertainment screens that would not function. In addition to the lack of sanitary conditions of the on-board restrooms, foul-smelling aircraft and very low quality food and drink options, the complaint mentions that the airline did not respond to multiple requests for assistance and failed to provide any solution throughout the duration of the trip which added to the mental agony uffered by passengers.
The duo alleged that they were put on an aircraft that was "horrible and obnoxious".
Airline challenges allegations
Air India has denied the allegations made against them stating that the aircraft flew under full compliance with all standard pre-departure procedures. Air India also indicated that the complaints came from the inability of the crew to accommodate business class upgrades because the class was at full capacity.
Also Read | AAIB preliminary findings reveal critical engine failure in Redbird Crash: Report
However, the Commission identified Air India’s argument as weak and stated that the company failed to respond to the legal notice from Bhatnagar prior to him seeking redress through the Commission.
Commission's orders
"This commission, therefore, directs the opposite party 1 to pay Rs 50,000 each to the complainant and his daughter as compensation and Rs 50,000 as litigation expenses to the complainant," the forum said.
While the commission denied the complainant's request for a full refund of the Rs 3.18 lakh ticket fare, pointing out that the journey had been completed, it highlighted that airlines must follow the service standards set by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
