Air India asked to pay over Rs 90,000 for luggage loss

NEW DELHI: Air India has been told by a consumer court to pay a compensation of over Rs 90,000 to the State Trading Corporation's CMD and his wife for loss of their luggage on return journey from the United Kingdom.

"Failure of the airlines to handover the booked luggage in its intact position or without any pilferage amounts to deficiency in service and therefore entitles the consumer to reasonable compensation," Commission President Justice J D Kapoor said.

The Commission, however, held that the liability to compensate the consumer was a limited liability and was uniformly applicable irrespective of the value of the baggage.

It also dismissed counter appeals filed by the Air India and State Trading Corporation's Chairman-cum-Managing Director Arvind Pandalai and his wife Laxmi against a district forum order.

A south Delhi-based district forum had asked the state-owned airlines to pay Rs 92,000 to Pandalais as compensation, including litigation cost.

The Pandalais had filed an appeal against the order seeking enhancement of compensation amount while the airlines sought quashing of lower forum's order on the ground that the complainants could not be treated as consumers under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act.

Pandalai along with his wife were shocked on landing the IGI airport here in June last year to note that their luggage were left behind at the Heathrow airport in London due to negligence of Air India staffers.

Despite their efforts, they could not get their luggage containing valuables of over Rs three lakh, they claimed.