Mumbai: The state consumer commission has reduced the compensation of Rs 1 lakh that was awarded to an air passenger who had held Jet Airways responsible for causing him losses by issuing a ticket on a flight that was later cancelled.
The commission said that while an airline can be liable for deficiency in service it cannot be asked to pay unreasonable compensation in the absence of any concrete evidence about the nature of delay which complainant claims caused him losses.
The commission passed the order while hearing an appeal filed by Jet Airways challenging an award in 2012 by Mumbai district forum of Rs 1 lakh to be payable to complainant Himanshu Mehta, who is a resident of Mumbai. The award was in lieu of the airline issuing a ticket on a flight from Srinagar to Delhi in 2007, which was later cancelled. The state commission said that the award of Rs 1 lakh was excessive and that Rs 25,000 as compensation and Rs 25,000 towards litigation expense would suffice.
A bench of Justice A.P. Bhangale, president of the state consumer commission and member A.K. Zade were hearing an appeal against the 2012 judgement. The complaint by Mehta was that he had booked a ticket on Jet Airways from Srinagar to Delhi that was to leave at 8.20 am. Mehta had claimed that he had to attend a meeting in Delhi at noon, after which he would fly to Mumbai. However, on reaching Srinagar airport he was informed by the airport personnel that there were no flights as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had restricted morning flights due to bad weather conditions.
Mehta averred that he took an alternate flight and reached Delhi at 4.15 pm due to which he missed his meeting and hence claimed compensation of the losses he incurred.
