Eight months after a Bengaluru resident missed his international flight to Switzerland due to a delay in a domestic flight, a Karnataka consumer court has ordered Air India to pay Rs 2.08 lakh to the passenger, citing ‘deficiency in service and unfair trade practice.’
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Bengaluru ruled on May 22 that Air India must compensate Jitender Kumar, from ITI Layout, Bengaluru. The court stated that as a reputed airline, Air India ‘should have taken initiative’ to arrange another flight for Kumar in time.
According to Kumar’s complaint, on September 14, 2023, he was scheduled to board a Bengaluru-Mumbai Air India flight at 9.24 pm, which was delayed. This delay caused him to miss his international flight to Zurich, Switzerland. Despite his requests for assistance, Air India only offered domestic alternatives, leading Kumar to book another flight from Delhi to Zurich at a significant cost.
The court found Air India guilty of service deficiency and unfair trade practice. It ordered Air India to pay Rs 1,78,503 with 6% interest per annum from the booking date, Rs 25,000 for service deficiency, and Rs 5,000 for litigation charges. Air India must comply within 45 days, failing which an 8% annual interest will be applied.
