'Broken Seats, Filthy Toilets, Callous Crew': Consumer Court Asks Air India To Pay Rs 1.5 L To Father-Daughter Duo

In a significant ruling for air passengers, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission–VI at New Delhi has directed Air India to pay Rs 1.5 lakh as compensation to a passenger and his daughter. The order penalises the airline for “deficiency of service” on a long-haul international journey between Delhi and New York. The commission, led by President Poonam Chaudhry and Member Shekhar Chandra, held that the airline failed to provide the basic facilities for which a “considerable amount” had been charged.

The complaint was filed by Shailendra Bhatnagar, who travelled with his daughter on a Delhi–New York–Delhi flight in September 2023 on economy class tickets. Bhatnagar alleged a harrowing experience on the nearly 15-hour flight, detailing

a litany of failures, including broken and uncomfortable seats, malfunctioning call buttons, and inoperative in-flight entertainment screens. The grievance further highlighted unhygienic washrooms, a foul odour permeating the aircraft, and poor-quality food and beverages. Most notably, the complainant stated that the cabin crew remained unresponsive to repeated complaints during the journey, compounding the mental agony of the passengers.

Air India contested the allegations, claiming the aircraft had passed all routine pre-departure checks. The airline further suggested that the complaints were motivated by the crew’s inability to grant a requested upgrade to business class due to full occupancy. However, the commission found the airline’s defence weak, particularly noting that Air India had failed to respond to a legal notice sent by Bhatnagar before he approached the forum. The bench observed that “silence” in the face of such specific allegations suggested a lack of a valid rebuttal.

In its final order, the commission awarded Rs 50,000 each to the father and daughter for the “harassment and mental agony” suffered. Additionally, the airline was directed to pay Rs 50,000 towards litigation expenses, bringing the total payout to Rs 1.5 lakh. While the commission refused the complainant’s request for a full refund of the Rs 3.18 lakh ticket fare—noting that the journey had been completed—it emphasised that airlines have a statutory obligation under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, to meet the service standards prescribed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).