The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-VI, New Delhi, comprising President Poonam Chaudhry and Members Bariq Ahmad and Shekhar Chandra, has held IndiGo Airlines liable for deficiency in service over the last-minute cancellation of a flight booked by a couple for their honeymoon to Geneva via Istanbul.

The Commission observed that the airline had failed to establish the specific circumstances necessitating the cancellation and that a general claim of operational reasons was insufficient to justify its force majeure defence.

Facts:

The complainants, Mr. Rishabh Maheshwari and Ms. Anisha Mangleek, had booked flight tickets with Inter Globe Aviation Ltd. (IndiGo Airlines) for their honeymoon trip to Geneva via Istanbul. The booking comprised Flight No. 6E11 from New Delhi to Istanbul and Flight No. 6E409 from Istanbul to Geneva, scheduled for May 17, 2024. The total cost of the tickets was ₹54,428.

The complainants alleged that on May 16, 2024, at approximately 8:54 PM, just hours before the scheduled departure, IndiGo informed them that Flight No. 6E11 from New Delhi to Istanbul had been cancelled. According to them, the cancellation was communicated without prior notice or a valid explanation, causing considerable inconvenience and disrupting their honeymoon plans.

Following the cancellation, IndiGo offered the complainants the option of booking an alternative flight through its Plan B facility or cancelling the booking for a full refund. However, the complainants contended that no suitable alternative flight to Geneva was available under the arrangement. Consequently, they were compelled to book last-minute alternative tickets with Etihad Airways for ₹1,24,202, incurring an additional expenditure of ₹69,774. They further alleged that their advance hotel bookings and tour reservations were also jeopardised due to the sudden cancellation.

Although IndiGo refunded the original ticket amount of ₹54,428 and offered an additional compensation of ₹20,000, the complainants considered the compensation inadequate. They claimed that despite repeated follow-ups with the airline and approaching the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), their grievance remained unresolved. They subsequently issued a legal notice dated October 10, 2024, seeking reimbursement of the additional airfare, compensation for mental agony and harassment, and litigation expenses.

Contentions of the IndiGo:

IndiGo, in its written statement, denied the allegations of deficiency in service and unfair trade practices. It contended that the flight was cancelled due to operational reasons beyond its control, constituting a force majeure event under the applicable DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements. The airline maintained that the complainants had been informed about the cancellation through SMS and email and had been offered the option of booking an alternative flight under Plan B or obtaining a full refund. It further submitted that the refund had been duly processed and denied liability for the additional expenditure incurred by the complainants.

Observation and decision:

The Commission observed that IndiGo Airlines had failed to produce sufficient evidence to establish that the flight cancellation resulted from circumstances beyond its reasonable control. It held that merely citing operational reasons or force majeure was insufficient to absolve the airline of liability.

The Commission further observed that the complainants had suffered inconvenience and disruption to their honeymoon plans due to the last-minute cancellation.

However, the Commission declined to direct reimbursement of the additional airfare of ₹69,774. It observed that the complainants had not established an entitlement to recover the additional expenditure merely by showing that they had paid a higher fare for alternative tickets.

Accordingly, the Commission partly allowed the complaint and directed IndiGo to pay ₹2 lakh as compensation for mental agony, harassment and inconvenience, along with ₹50,000 towards litigation expenses.

The amounts are to be paid within 45 days from receipt of a copy of the order, failing which interest at 9% per annum will be payable from the date of the order until realisation. The order was passed on August 27, 2026.