Airline says passenger was late, but can’t prove it: Consumer court awards Delhi flyer ₹71,587, details inside

A Delhi passenger who missed a Bengaluru-bound flight after alleging delays by airline staff has been awarded ₹71,587 by the New Delhi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. The commission ruled in his favour after the airline failed to produce evidence supporting its claim that he had reported late for check-in.

The commission, headed by President Poonam Chaudhry and member Bariq Ahmad, observed that the airline had not submitted CCTV footage or any other material to establish that the passenger arrived late at the check-in counter, The Indian Express reported.

“…the OP has not placed any cogent evidence like the CCTV footage or any other material to show that the complainant was not on time,” the commission said while ruling in the passenger’s favour.

Delhi passenger reached airport an hour before flight departure

According to the complaint, the passenger had booked a round-trip ticket between Delhi and Bengaluru for June 2025 to attend an urgent office meeting.

He told the commission that he reached Delhi airport at around 5.45 am for his scheduled 6.45 am flight.

However, he alleged that airline staff delayed his check-in for more than 45 minutes despite repeated requests for assistance.

He further claimed that a ground staff member incorrectly informed him that the flight was full and directed him to a help desk to explore rescheduling options.

By the time the issue was resolved, the passenger had missed his scheduled flight.

Since he could not miss the office meeting, he purchased another ticket on the same airline for ₹11,587 and travelled later that day.

Passenger alleges further trouble during return journey

The dispute allegedly continued during his return journey from Bengaluru.

According to the publication, the passenger claimed that airline staff initially refused to allow him to check in because he had not travelled using his original onward ticket.

He was eventually permitted to board after explaining that he had purchased another ticket on the same airline.

The airline, however, disputed his account. It argued that the passenger had reached the check-in counter at 6.10 am and had been declared a “no-show” because he had failed to report within the stipulated time.

Consumer commission orders airline to pay ₹71,587 compensation

The commission found that the airline had not produced evidence to substantiate its claim that the passenger had arrived late.

It subsequently directed the airline to refund the cost of the replacement ticket, amounting to ₹11,587.

The airline was also ordered to pay ₹50,000 as compensation for mental agony and harassment, along with ₹10,000 towards litigation expenses.

This took the total compensation awarded to the passenger to ₹71,587.

The ruling came after the commission found that the airline had failed to provide documentary or other supporting evidence to establish that the passenger was responsible for missing his scheduled flight.