AJAY KALIA Vs. AIR INDIA LTD

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS complaint is filed by Mr. Ajay Kaila and others contending that the complainant along with his family members travelled from New Delhi to Dubai by Air India Flight and suffered ordeal on their return from Dubai to New Delhi. It is contended that the opposite party, M/s. Air India Limited, is an International Airline boas ting of its high quality service, reputation, etc. It is also governed by INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION (IATA). Opposite party No. 3, Director General, Civil Aviation of Government of India, is a statutory body whose functions include laying down standards and implementation with regard, inter alia, to airworthiness, safety and operation of aircraft, etc. It is the say of the complainant that he along with his family boarded flight No. AI -0746 from Dubai to New Delhi on 2nd January, 2007. The time for departure was 17.00 hours. For this purpose, the complainants were required to leave their hotel from Dubai at 15.30 hours. After reaching the Airport the complainants found that the departure time of the flight was 20.30 hours. They reached the. Airport and checked out at the counter at Dubai Airport and were shocked to note that the flight was further delayed by 3 hours. Thereafter, the flight took 5 hours for landing at Mumbai Airport instead of Delhi Airport whereas a normal flight takes 3 hours to reach Delhi from Dubai.

(2.) AT the Mumbai Airport, the complainants and all other passengers were kept waiting endlessly in the lounge for more than 24 hours without any sleep, rest and proper meals. No personnel of opposite party No. 1 cared to intimate the reason and/or the cause of piecemeal extension. The complainants have also raised other contentions in this complaint. They claimed a compensation of Rs. 4,80,000 for each passenger.

(3.) BEFORE deciding the other issues, we directed the opposite party No. 1 to produce the relevant Guidelines regarding the Flight Irregularities prescribed by M/s. Air India Limited. Relevant part of the Guidelines is as under: