Consumer Court Fines Qatar Airways ₹10 Lakh For Denying Boarding To Infant Despite Valid Boarding Pass
Consumer Court Fines Qatar Airways ₹10 Lakh For Denying Boarding To Infant Despite Valid Boarding Pass
Consumer court calls airline’s action arbitrary and unfair, awards compensation to family for mental harassment after disrupted international journey.
By Vidhi Lalla
The Ernakulam District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed Qatar Airways to pay ₹10 lakh as compensation to an Indian family after the airline denied boarding to their 10-month-old child despite issuing a valid boarding pass. The court held that the airline’s actions amounted to deficiency in service and unfair trade practice, causing severe mental trauma and financial hardship to the family.
The case dates back to December 2018, when Roshan Jose, an Indian working in Italy, was returning from Kochi to Italy with his wife and two young children after a family visit. Qatar Airways had verified all travel documents at Kochi Airport and issued boarding passes to the entire family.
However, shortly before departure from Kochi, the airline stopped the family’s six-year-old son from boarding, claiming he required a separate Italian visa. With little time left before the flight, the parents were forced to leave the child with relatives in Kerala and continue their journey to Doha.
The situation worsened during the connecting flight at Doha. Despite already having a valid boarding pass issued from Kochi, the airline refused to allow the family’s 10-month-old infant to board the flight to Italy, citing documentation issues.
As the mother feared losing her job in Italy, she travelled alone to her workplace, while the father had to return to Kochi with the infant. The family remained separated for several weeks, with both children staying in India with relatives. According to the complaint, the incident resulted in significant emotional distress and financial losses.
During the hearing, Qatar Airways argued that it was the passengers’ responsibility to ensure they possessed all the required travel documents. However, the Consumer Commission rejected this defence, observing that the airline had already verified the same documents and allowed the family to travel from Italy to India. Preventing the child from boarding on the return journey despite issuing a boarding pass was held to be arbitrary and unjustified.
The Commission noted that the airline’s actions caused unnecessary hardship to the family, particularly as one of the children was an infant. It ruled that the incident reflected serious negligence in passenger handling.
The court ordered Qatar Airways to pay ₹10 lakh as compensation for mental agony and ₹25,000 towards litigation costs. The airline has been directed to make the payment within 45 days, failing which the compensation amount will attract 9% annual interest until it is paid.
Disclaimer: The Consumer Commission has delivered its order. Any appeal or further legal proceedings by the airline, if filed, may affect the final outcome of the case.
