Prevented from boarding, consumer commission directs Air India to pay passenger compensation

A flyer who was prevented from boarding an Air India plane to Japan was in for a relief after a district consumer commission faulted the airline and directed them to issue a refund and pay compensation of ₹50,000.

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission was dealing with a complaint filed by J. Venkata Ramanaiah. The opposite party (OP) was Air India.

The complainant stated that he was scheduled to fly to Tokyo for the Agri-Week Tokyo event and had booked return tickets. The flight was to leave from Hyderabad on October 10, 2023. However, the OP’s staff stopped him at the gate, informed him that he was not allowed to board the flight, directed a surrender of his boarding pass, return ticket and other related documents. Despite having documentation in order, including a visa, not permitting him to board the plane was deficiency in service and unfair trade practice, he stated.

For their part, the OP stated that the complainant had booked another flight, from which he was offloaded. They stated that for a trip to Tokyo, he had on his person only a 4 kg handbag for an international flight, which did not add to his profile in a positive way. They also contended that the complainant neither had an itinerary or adequate knowledge of the trip. The Agri-Week Tokyo requires a business card which the complainant did not have, they stated.

Taking the evidence and arguments placed on record into consideration, the Commission noted that the complainant possessed a valid visa, a valid business registration certificate, and card, an invitation ticket as well as the QR code to the event in Tokyo, and a return ticket from Tokyo to Hyderabad via Mumbai. The Commission stated that carrying a 4 kg handbag was no ground to deny boarding to the complainant. Not having adequate information about the journey or itinerary was no ground to deny boarding, it added.

Apart from directing a refund of ₹53,469 and ₹50,000 as compensation, costs of ₹20,000 were also imposed.