Kerala Man Gets Over Rs 1 Lakh From Air India After 9-Year Legal Battle Over Missed Flight

A Kerala man has finally won compensation from Air India, nearly nine years after a delayed flight left him stranded overnight at Mumbai airport and cost him thousands of rupees to get back to his job in Saudi Arabia. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Thiruvananthapuram, has ordered the airline to pay him Rs 1.36 lakh. The case was reported by Onmanorama.

Also Read: Indian Railways Introduces New Tatkal Booking Rules, Key Changes Explained

What Exactly Happened?

42-year-old Kapildev works as a driver in Saudi Arabia. He was on leave in Kerala and was booked to fly back on September 10, 2017, on a connecting Air India journey - Thiruvananthapuram to Mumbai, then on to Saudi Arabia. The Thiruvananthapuram-Mumbai leg was delayed by over two hours. He said he had asked Air India staff at the airport whether this would affect his onward flight and was assured it would not. By the time he landed in Mumbai, his flight to Saudi Arabia had already left.

No Help From Air India

The only seat left on the next day's Saudi Airlines flight was in business class, which he couldn't afford. His family arranged around Rs 49,000 through a travel agency in Saudi Arabia to book him a new ticket. Counting the value of the ticket he never used, his total loss came to about Rs 83,000. He also said Air India didn't arrange food or a place to stay while he waited it out at the airport.

Photo: Unsplash

What Air India Argued

Air India denied any deficiency in service. It said the flight had been delayed because the incoming aircraft arrived late, that its call centre had tried to inform Kapildev, that refreshments were served to affected passengers, and that its Mumbai team had tried rebooking him on a Riyadh flight the next day, though no seats were free. It also claimed hotel accommodation had been offered.

Also Read: Manali Hotel Refuses Stay To Family With Confirmed Booking, Court Orders Rs 31,000 Compensation

What The Commission Observed

The commission wasn't convinced. It noted that Air India never produced any evidence to actually explain what caused the delay, or to show it was due to some technical or operational issue beyond its control. It held the airline responsible for a deficiency in service.

Commission Awards Compensation

Air India was ordered to pay Kapildev Rs 83,000 for his financial loss, Rs 50,000 for mental agony, and Rs 3,000 in litigation costs which is Rs 1.36 lakh in total. The order came on July 15, and Kapildev said the money reached him last week. "We never expected we would actually receive compensation. More than the money, I wanted people to know that passengers have legal remedies in situations like this," he told Onmanorama.