A woman travelling with her infant son was allegedly kept inside an aircraft for nearly 10 hours without proper food, drinking water or basic assistance after a flight from Los Angeles was delayed and eventually cancelled. According to The Indian Express, a Delhi consumer commission has now directed the airline to pay Rs 1.5 lakh to the passenger.
The Indian Express reported that the Delhi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission held the airline’s conduct to deficiency in service and found that the woman and her infant had suffered because of poor service, negligence and irresponsible behaviour.
The Indian Express also reported that the commission awarded Rs 1 lakh as compensation and Rs 50,000 towards litigation expenses.
The order was passed on September 2 by commission president Poonam Chaudhry and members Shekhar Chandra and Bariq Ahmad.
Infant allegedly left without food and water
According to the details reported by The Indian Express, in 2017, the woman had booked a business-class ticket through a travel agent for a journey from Los Angeles to Mumbai via Beijing.
Her return flight was scheduled to depart Los Angeles on July 19 and reach Mumbai the following day. When she arrived at the airport, she was allegedly informed that boarding had been delayed by two hours.
The woman said that after passengers boarded the aircraft, the plane remained on the tarmac for nearly 10 hours without taking off.
She alleged that passengers were not provided adequate food or drinking water during the prolonged wait.
The situation was particularly difficult for her infant son, whom she claimed was left without food and water. She also alleged that the crew refused to provide hot water needed to prepare milk for the baby. The passengers were eventually informed that the flight had been cancelled.
Family allegedly waited at airport after cancellation
The woman further alleged that after the cancellation, she and her infant son remained at the airport for several more hours without proper accommodation, food or assistance.
Subsequently, she approached the consumer commission, seeking compensation for the hardship caused by the airline’s handling of the disruption.
Airline cites bad weather
Defending its actions, the airline attributed the delay and cancellation to heavy rainfall and adverse weather conditions.
It submitted that several flights had been affected by the weather and argued that passengers were not entitled to compensation when a delay or cancellation resulted from circumstances beyond the airline’s control. The airline maintained that the weather conditions justified the disruption.
Commission finds no compelling reason established
The consumer commission examined the material produced by the passenger, including a weather report. The report showed overcast skies, humidity below 70% and visibility of 4-5 km.
During the arguments, the commission also noted that the airline had not established any compelling circumstances that justified the cancellation of the flight in the manner alleged by the complainant. It also considered the conditions faced by the woman and her infant while they remained onboard the aircraft.
“On the given facts, we are of the view that the complainant No. 1 is entitled for compensation as she and her infant baby had to suffer because of poor services, negligence and irresponsible behaviour of OP-1,” The Indian Express quoted the commission as saying.
It concluded that the airline’s conduct amounted to deficiency in service.
Airline ordered to pay Rs 1.5 lakh
The commission directed the airline to pay Rs 1 lakh as compensation to the woman and her infant son and Rs 50,000 towards litigation expenses. The total amount payable is Rs 1.5 lakh. The airline was directed to make the payment within four weeks of receiving the order.
Takeaway
The ruling shows that even when a flight disruption is attributed to weather, the manner in which an airline handles passengers during a prolonged delay can be examined separately. Passengers who remain onboard an aircraft for extended periods may reasonably expect access to basic necessities such as food and drinking water, with additional care required where infants or other vulnerable passengers are involved.
For consumers facing lengthy delays or cancellations, preserving boarding passes, booking records, airline communications and details of expenses or assistance provided can help establish what happened if a service dispute later arises.