Delayed Air India flight cost Kerala man his Saudi work trip. Now the airline owes him ₹1.36 lakh

A consumer court in Kerala has directed Air India to pay ₹1.36 lakh in compensation to a man who was stranded overnight at Mumbai airport after a flight delay caused him to miss his international connection. The order brings to an end a legal battle that lasted nearly nine years. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Thiruvananthapuram, ruled in favour of Kapildev, who had sought compensation after claiming the airline failed to assist him following the disruption.

Delay led to missed international connection

Kapildev, 42, worked as a driver in Saudi Arabia and had travelled to Kerala in June 2017 to visit his family. On September 10 that year, he was scheduled to return to Saudi Arabia on an Air India itinerary that included a domestic flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Mumbai, followed by an international connection, according to an Onmanorama report.

However, the Thiruvananthapuram-Mumbai flight was delayed by more than two hours, causing him to miss his onward flight. With no suitable alternative offered, he was forced to purchase a last-minute ticket on another airline, spending nearly ₹49,000.

Family faced financial hardship

The unexpected expense placed a significant financial burden on Kapildev's family, who had to arrange the money at short notice. They also alleged that despite repeated requests, Air India did not provide any meaningful assistance after he missed his connecting flight.

Believing the airline had failed in its duty, the family decided to pursue legal action instead of letting the matter go.

Wife approached consumer court

Kapildev's wife, Shiji, sought legal advice from advocate Manoj Sreedhar, who believed the family had a valid case.

Following his advice, she filed a complaint before the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Thiruvananthapuram. The petition named Air India's Chairman and Managing Director, Director (Operations), and the airline's station managers at Thiruvananthapuram as respondents.

The complaint sought compensation for the financial losses suffered by the family as well as the mental distress caused by the incident.

'I was completely stranded'

Recalling the ordeal, Kapildev told Onmanorama, “When I reached Mumbai, my flight to Saudi had already departed. I was completely stranded and didn't know what to do.”

He added, “There was only a business-class seat available on the next day's Saudi Airlines flight. I didn't have enough money to buy the ticket. I spent the entire day at the airport while trying to arrange another ticket.”

According to the report, Kapildev's family eventually arranged nearly ₹49,000 through a travel agency in Saudi Arabia, which booked him a replacement ticket. Along with the roughly ₹34,000 spent on the unused Mumbai-Saudi Arabia segment of his original booking, the family's total financial loss came to around ₹83,000.

Kapildev also alleged that Air India neither arranged accommodation nor provided food, forcing him to spend the night at Mumbai airport.

Air India denied deficiency in service

In its reply before the commission, Air India rejected the allegations and argued that there had been no deficiency in service. The airline said the complaint lacked both legal and factual merit.

It explained that the Thiruvananthapuram-Mumbai flight, scheduled to depart at 8.15 pm on September 10, 2017, eventually took off at 11.21 pm because the incoming aircraft from Mumbai had itself been delayed.