The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Delhi has directed IndiGo Airlines to pay Rs 1.75 lakh to a passenger after finding the airline
guilty of providing unhygienic and stained seats on a flight from Baku to Delhi. The order was passed on July 18 by a bench comprising president Poonam Chaudhry and members Bariq Ahmed and Shekhar Chandra. The commission held that dirty seating arrangements were a clear violation of consumer expectations and the airline’s contractual obligations. While the refund plea was denied since the complainant had completed her journey, the bench awarded Rs 1.5 lakh for mental agony, physical pain, and harassment, and an additional Rs 25,000 as litigation expenses. The case was filed by Pinki, a resident of Chanakyapuri in Delhi, who had booked tickets for herself, her husband, and two other family members through a travel agency on December 27, 2024, for Rs 48,739, as per Times Of India report. On January 2, 2025, upon boarding the IndiGo flight, she found her assigned seats dirty and unhygienic. When she complained to an air hostess, the crew member said she was unable to arrange clean seats but offered an alternative isolated seat in the 14th row, along with an apology. On January 13, Pinki sent a legal notice to the airline, but after receiving no satisfactory response, she approached the consumer commission seeking compensation. She told the commission that the incident caused her significant harassment and emotional distress throughout the flight. IndiGo said that the issue had been addressed on the spot by shifting the passenger to a different seat. However, the commission disagreed, ruling that the condition of the seats was unacceptable and amounted to a deficiency in service. The bench also reminded airlines that under civil aviation requirements, carriers registered in India must maintain a responsive grievance redressal system with a dedicated helpline, in line with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
