While holding Air India Express guilty of deficiency of service, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Chandigarh, has directed it to pay a compensation of Rs 15,000 and refund Rs 1,26,771, along with an annual interest to a senior IAS officer.
The officer had alleged that he, along with his family, was denied boarding at the Dubai airport.
In a complaint filed with the commission, senior IAS officer Veerendra Kumar Meena, a resident of Chandigarh, said that he, his wife and son visited Dubai for a vacation from June 9, 2024, to June 17, 2024.
For their return journey, they had booked tickets on an Air India Express flight scheduled to fly from Dubai to Amritsar. These tickets were purchased through a travel agent at a cost of Rs 18,420 per person.
Rana Gurtej Singh, counsel of complainant, said that the scheduled departure time for the flight was 8:50 am on June 17, while boarding was scheduled to commence at 7:50 am. The family arrived at Dubai International Airport approximately two and a half hours prior to the scheduled time.
They had completed the check-in formalities, obtained their boarding passes and deposited their luggage. The boarding passes clearly indicated that the gate would close at 8:25 am that is, 25 minutes prior to the flight’s departure. They arrived at the boarding gate well within the allotted time however, the airline’s ground staff stopped them, claiming that the boarding process had already concluded.
This occurred despite the fact that boarding for other passengers was still under way at that moment, and the aircraft itself was still parked at the gate. It is alleged that no prior notice was given regarding the gate closing ahead of schedule. Consequently, they were stranded at Dubai International Airport and were compelled to purchase new tickets.
Subsequently, the family travelled from Dubai to New Delhi via Jaipur on a different flight. For this alternative journey, they incurred an additional expense of Rs 42,257 per person. The complaint further stated that, due to their delayed arrival in India, he was unable to join his duties on time, which led to him facing administrative difficulties.
On the other hand, the airline denied the allegations. It alleged that the complainant along with their family members failed to reach the boarding gate within the stipulated time of 20 minutes prior to the scheduled departure.
After hearing of the arguments, the Commission said the available tickets and boarding passes clearly indicate that the complainants had reached the boarding gate in time and was not allowed to board.
They were compelled to purchase alternative tickets and pay extra amount of Rs 1,26,771. In view of this, the airline and the travel agent are directed to pay Rs 1,26,771 to the complainants, along with an interest at the rate of 9 per cent per annum; Rs 15,000 as compensation for causing mental agony and harassment; and Rs 10,000 as the cost of litigation.
