A District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in New Delhi has ordered Air India to pay ₹1.5 lakh to a father and his daughter following a complaint about inadequate onboard service on an international flight. The ruling underscores that airlines have statutory obligations to provide basic facilities and quality of service to paying passengers.
What Happened on the Flight
The complainant, Shailendra Bhatnagar, and his daughter were passengers on an Air India economy class flight from Delhi to New York (via a connection) in September 2023. In their complaint, they alleged multiple service deficiencies:
- Broken and uncomfortable seats with malfunctioning controls and call buttons.
- Inoperative in-flight entertainment systems.
- Unhygienic, foul-smelling washrooms.
- Poor quality food and beverages.
- Lack of response from the cabin crew despite repeated requests.
The family provided photographic evidence showing the conditions onboard and had sent a legal notice to the airline before filing the complaint.
Consumer Court’s Rationale
The Commission held that paying passengers are “consumers” under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and that an airline is a “service provider.” If an airline fails to provide services that are mandatory under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) standards — such as functional seating, sanitation, food quality, and attentive crew service — it amounts to a deficiency in service. Authorities emphasised passengers are entitled to compensation for mental agony and harassment when basic amenities are not provided despite payment for a premium service.
In this case, the Commission found Air India’s lack of rebuttal and failure to address documented concerns weakened its defence, leading to the award of compensation.
Compensation Ordered
The court directed Air India to pay the following to the complainants:
- ₹50,000 to the father for mental agony and harassment.
- ₹50,000 to the daughter for similar distress.
- ₹50,000 as litigation expenses.
The plea for a full refund of ticket fare (~₹3.18 lakh) was rejected on the basis that the journey had been completed and the passengers chose to continue the flight.
Air India’s Response and Broader Implications
Air India denied the allegations, stating the aircraft had cleared routine checks and suggesting that the complaints first surfaced after the passengers’ request for an upgrade was denied. However, the Commission’s decision reinforces that airlines must provide minimum standards of comfort, hygiene, and responsiveness, irrespective of class of travel or ticket value.
This case may influence passengers to assert their rights when contractual service obligations are not met and could encourage airlines to tighten quality control and complaint-resolution mechanisms to avoid similar consumer court rulings.
