Emirates Airlines to pay Rs 2 lakh for baggage loss

NEW DELHI: Emirates Airlines has been told by a consumer court to shell out Rs two lakh as compensation to a doctor whose baggage, carrying his research paper, was lost during transit in Athens.

The Delhi Consumer Commission held the Airlines' guilty of deficiency in service as the doctor who had gone to Europe to participate in an international conference was forced to opt out due to non-delivery of his research papers.

"The circumstance of not delivering baggage at all or short-delivery itself amounts to deficiency in service for which consumer is entitled for compensation," said Commission president Justice J D Kapoor.

He directed the Airlines to pay the compensation to complainant Rakesh Chopra, who was chief of Oncology department at Indraprastha Apollo hospital here at the time of the incident.

Chopra, in his complaint, had sought a compensation of over Rs five lakh as the airlines could not deliver his bag at Athens in Greece where he alongwith his wife had gone to attend a conference organised by the European Society of Medical Oncology from November six to 10, 1998. He alleged some of his remaining suitcases were also tampered with.

The Airlines, on its part, cited provisions of the Carrier Act to contend that the doctor was only entitled to a compensation at the rate of Rs 20 dollar per kilogram of baggage lost.

Rejecting the airline's argument, the Commission said, "So far as loss of baggage or non-delivery is concerned, it is independent and per se amounts to deficiency in service for which the passenger is entitled to additional compensation under the Consumer Protection Act."