Air India Express Held Guilty for Denying Boarding to IAS Officer and Family
The Chandigarh Consumer Commission has held Air India Express guilty of deficiency in service after an IAS officer and his family were denied boarding despite reaching the airport and boarding gate on time. The incident took place in June 2024 when the IAS officer was returning from Dubai to Amritsar along with his wife and son. The family had reportedly reached the airport around two-and-a-half hours before departure and completed the check-in process within the stipulated time. According to the complaint, the passengers also arrived at the boarding gate before its scheduled closing time of 8:25 AM. However, airline staff refused to allow them to board the flight, claiming that boarding had already been completed. Left stranded, the family was forced to book alternative tickets via Jaipur to return to Amritsar. This resulted in an additional expense of ₹1,26,771. After hearing the case, the Consumer Commission found Air India Express guilty of “gross negligence” and unfair treatment of passengers. The commission directed the airline to:
Refund ₹1,26,771 towards the additional travel expenses
Pay interest at the rate of 9% per annum
Pay ₹15,000 as compensation for mental harassment
Pay ₹10,000 towards litigation expenses
The commission also observed that wrongly marking the passengers as “no-show” despite their timely arrival amounted to a serious deficiency in service by the airline.