The airline and its country head was directed to pay Rs 5 lakh ($6096) for deficient services, along with Rs 50,000 each for mental harassment and litigation expenses
The Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered Kuwait Airways to pay Rs 6 lakh ($7316) to a man who faced mistreatment and was not allowed to board a connecting flight from Kuwait City to London in 2019, despite holding a valid round-trip ticket.
The commission, headed by Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal, directed the airline and its country head to pay Rs 5 lakh ($6096) for deficient services, along with Rs 50,000 each for mental harassment and litigation expenses.
The complainant, Shameemuddin, filed a complaint seeking around Rs 55 lakh in compensation for the airline’s poor services. He alleged that he was sent back to New Delhi from Kuwait City on February 1, 2019, even though he had all the necessary travel documents.
Kuwait Airways claimed that Shameemuddin was offloaded and deported to India due to a “poor profile” as determined by the Airline Liaison Officer representing the UK Embassy. However, the commission criticized the airline for shifting blame and offering excuses, stating that denying a person boarding is a callous and oppressive act, causing immense mental agony and trauma.
The decision reflects the commission’s stance against mistreatment of passengers and highlights the responsibility of airlines to ensure the well-being and proper treatment of travelers.
The bench emphasized that the airline’s responsibility is to take reasonable care of its passengers and not subject them to humiliation and harassment. As a result, the commission found the airline liable for deficient service and ordered compensation.
Advocate Mahmood Alam, representing Shameemuddin, revealed that his client purchased a new ticket from another airline and reached the UK without any issues despite the alleged deportation. The commission highlighted this fact, questioning the airline’s actions of allowing the passenger to board and then denying him a connecting flight without providing sufficient reasons.
In conclusion, the Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ruled in favor of Shameemuddin, ordering Kuwait Airways to pay Rs 6 lakh as compensation for their deficient services and the mental harassment caused to the passenger. The decision reflects the commission’s stance against mistreatment of passengers and highlights the responsibility of airlines to ensure the well-being and proper treatment of travelers.
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