Kochi: Air India directed to pay Rs 5 lakh to passengers denied seats on flight

Air India has been asked by the Kerala State Consumer Redressal Commission to pay Rs 5 lakh each to two people. The airline reportedly failed to give them seats though they had valid and confirmed tickets on the flight.

A report in Deccan Chronicle states that the two passengers had booked tickets online from Agatti (in Lakshadweep islands) to Kochi on May 10, 2014 and Kochi to Thiruvanathapuram on May 11, 2014. However, when they landed up at the airport in Agatti, the two people were denied boarding passes and had to fly out only on May 11. 

Air India has stated that they couldn’t take the passengers as their names were missing on the passenger list. This was due to the migration of Alliance Air System to SITA on May 9, 2014, says the report. 

The Kerala State Consumer Redressal Commission has stated that Air India denying the passengers to travel was “a clear deficiency of service on the part of Air India”. Complainants were put to much hardship due to the attitude of Air India and for that the airline was bound to pay a compensation.”

The report adds that the two complainants - A Madasamy and R Gopalakrishnan Nair – had asked for Rs 25 lakh as compensation. However, Commission president Justice PQ Barkathali has ordered Air India to pay Rs 5 lakh to each of them.