Airline Ordered to Pay Rs 50,000 for Mental Harassment Due to Delayed Flight

A passenger, Mainawati Devi, was left stranded for six hours at the Delhi Airport on June 5, 2022, after her flight to Gorakhpur was delayed. The Southwest District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has recently directed the airline, Alliance Air Aviation Limited, to pay Rs 50,000 to Devi for mental harassment, agony, and litigation expenses. The passenger had alleged that despite clearing pre-boarding formalities by 10 am, the boarding gates were opened only at noon, and they were made to de-board the plane without any reason. The passengers were left in the dark for four hours, and only after five hours, they were allowed to board the flight, which took off at 5:30 pm.

Key Takeaways:

• The incident occurred on June 5, 2022, when Mainawati Devi was supposed to board a flight from Delhi Airport to Gorakhpur.
• The flight was delayed for six hours, and the passengers were de-boarded without any reason.
• Despite clearing pre-boarding formalities, the boarding gates were opened only at noon.
• The passengers had to wait for four hours without any information about the delay.
• The Commission found negligence on the part of the airline in maintaining the aircraft and detecting an engineering snag.
• The airline was directed to pay Rs 50,000 to Devi for mental harassment, agony, and litigation expenses within 45 days.

Statistics:

• 6 hours: The delay in the flight departure time.
• 10 am: The time when Mainawati Devi cleared pre-boarding formalities.
• 12 pm: The time when the boarding gates were opened.
• 5:30 pm: The time when the flight took off.
• Rs 50,000: The amount the airline was directed to pay to Devi for mental harassment, agony, and litigation expenses.
• 45 days: The time frame given to the airline to pay the compensation.

Sources:

• Southwest District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (Order dated July 7)
• IE Online Media Services Pvt. Ltd., distributed by Contify.com