An optometry graduate has been awarded ₹3 lakh in compensation from Air India Express after she was wrongfully denied boarding for a flight to Kuwait. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Perambalur, Tamil Nadu, ruled that the airline's refusal to allow her to travel on September 9, 2023, constituted a clear service failure, despite her holding valid travel documents.
The incident occurred when the young woman arrived at Tiruchirappalli airport, planning to join her parents in Kuwait. Air India Express officials, however, refused to issue her a boarding pass, asserting that her dependent visa had expired. Despite desperate appeals from both the passenger and her father, who insisted the documents were valid, airline staff dismissed their claims, leaving her stranded at the terminal.
Airline's Defense Dismissed
Air India Express defended its actions by citing Kuwaiti immigration regulations, which state that a foreign resident's permit becomes invalid if the holder remains outside Kuwait for more than six consecutive months. The airline contended that the passenger had exceeded this permissible period, claiming she was scheduled to return on the 183rd day of her stay outside the country.
However, the consumer commission, after reviewing official documents from Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior, conclusively found that the woman’s residency permit was entirely valid on her scheduled travel date. Crucially, records revealed that her visa was only officially cancelled on September 12, 2023 — three days after she was denied boarding by the airline.
The commission sharply criticized the airline, observing, "If the official had any doubts regarding the validity of the visa, then he or she should have contacted the concerned authority for clarification." Instead, the panel noted, Air India Express denied boarding without a legitimate reason, causing significant distress to the passenger and her family, who suffered "intense mental agony."
Compensation Awarded
In addition to the ₹3 lakh compensation for mental agony and service deficiency, the commission also directed Air India Express to pay an extra ₹10,000 towards litigation costs. This ruling underscores the critical responsibility of airlines to accurately verify passenger documents and highlights that travelers should not be unfairly penalized due to administrative errors or negligence at the gate.