It was a routine international flight for a Bengaluru man till disaster struck after a cabin crew member accidentally spilt a hot meal on him shortly after take-off, leading to a consumer court order against
the airline.
The incident dates back to March 5, 2024, aboard an IndiGo flight flying from Bangkok to Bengaluru. The Times of India reported that around 15 minutes after departure, a flight attendant opened an overhead storage bin, causing a packet of hot non-vegetarian curry to fall onto the passenger, whose name was held back for privacy reasons. The scalding food not only soaked his clothing but also caused discomfort and embarrassment for him.
The airlines, admitting negligence, offered him a travel voucher for Rs 5,000, but the man was not impressed. He decided to approach the consumer court, seeking compensation for Rs 5 lakh, claiming that the mishap had left him shocked and distressed. He told the commission that as a vegetarian, he was particularly uncomfortable due to the smell and stains, and he alleged damage to personal items, including clothes, electronic devices, and a backpack.
The report said after reviewing both sides, the commission concluded that the airline’s handling of hot items in overhead bins posed an avoidable risk to passenger safety. It found IndiGo vicariously liable for the in-flight mishap and ordered payment of Rs 20,000 in compensation along with Rs 5,000 toward litigation costs, bringing the total award to Rs 25,000 in favour of the passenger.
On its part, IndiGo had argued that the spill was unforeseen and not a “service deficiency” under the law, saying crew responded promptly by relocating the passenger and assisting with clean-up. The commission, however, held that storing hot, loose food in a way that could fall on a passenger constituted negligence.
Last year, a Delhi consumer court found IndiGo Airlines guilty of service deficiency after a female passenger was given a stained and unclean seat on an international flight. The airline was asked to cough up a Rs 1.5 lakh pay-out in compensation for the mental agony, physical discomfort, and harassment caused, along with an additional Rs 25,000 to cover litigation costs.
