Flight to Jaipur cancelled the night before travel, man forced to hire a taxi for Rs 19,500 in morning, Indigo ordered to pay Rs 14,350

A Chandigarh lawyer who hired a taxi for Rs 19,500 to reach Jaipur after IndiGo cancelled his flight hours before departure has won relief from a consumer commission. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-I, Chandigarh, has directed the airline to pay him Rs 7,352 with interest and another Rs 7,000 as compensation for mental agony, harassment and litigation costs.

The lawyer, Nitin Bhasin, had booked a Chandigarh-Jaipur return trip for October 9, 2025, intending to reach Jaipur before 10 am for a court appearance. IndiGo informed him of the cancellation during the night before his journey. The commission found that the airline had failed to arrange suitable alternative travel and had not supported its reasons for cancelling the flight with convincing documentary evidence.

Why the lawyer had to hire a Rs 19,500 taxi

According to the complaint, Bhasin booked his tickets through, using travel platform Yatra Online. He paid Rs 12,789 for his Chandigarh-Jaipur return journey.


On the night of October 8, 2025, IndiGo emailed him that his Chandigarh-Jaipur flight scheduled for the following morning had been cancelled due to operational reasons.

Bhasin contacted the airline's customer care team and requested an alternative morning flight that would allow him to reach Jaipur before 10 am. He said the alternative offered was a noon flight, which would not serve his purpose of attending the court proceedings.

He opted for a refund instead and travelled by taxi from Chandigarh to Jaipur in the early hours of October 9. The taxi cost him Rs 19,500, according to the complaint.

Bhasin subsequently approached the consumer commission, alleging deficiency in service and unfair trade practices. He also claimed that the ticket refund had not reached him when he filed his complaint.

What IndiGo and Yatra Online told the commission

IndiGo argued that the cancellation resulted from operational reasons beyond its control. It said it had informed Bhasin about the cancellation and offered him the option of taking an alternative flight on the same route without paying extra or cancelling the booking for a full refund.

The airline also maintained that it had initiated refunds to the respective travel agents for the bookings. It argued that it could not be held responsible for consequential losses arising from circumstances beyond its reasonable control.

IndiGo's submission also highlighted that the onward and return flights had been booked separately. The Chandigarh-Jaipur flight, scheduled to depart at 7.35 am on October 9, had been booked through Yatra Online for Rs 5,300. The return flight from Jaipur to Chandigarh, scheduled for 7.50 pm, had been booked through an another platform for Rs 7,359.

Yatra Online said the tickets had been processed with the airline and that IndiGo had subsequently cancelled the flight. It maintained that Bhasin had not approached the platform with a complaint about the cancellation or refund before the dispute arose.

According to Yatra, it learnt about the dispute from IndiGo on December 2, 2025. It said it refunded Rs 12,148 to Bhasin on the same day after receiving the amount from the airline.

Why the consumer commission held IndiGo liable

The commission, presided over by Pawan Jit Singh with Suresh Kumar Sardana as member, rejected IndiGo's defence that it had fulfilled its obligations by offering a refund or an alternative flight.

In its October 1, 2026, order, the commission observed that the airline had failed to provide an alternative arrangement that would enable Bhasin to reach his destination in time. As a result, he had to make his own travel arrangements at the last minute.

The commission also took note of the delayed refund. It found that IndiGo had failed to justify the cancellation with cogent documentary evidence, concluding that deficiency in service on the airline's part had been established.

The commission recorded that Rs 12,148 had already been refunded to Bhasin. It therefore directed IndiGo to pay the differential amount of Rs 7,352, calculated by subtracting the refund from the Rs 19,500 taxi expense.

The order does not require IndiGo to reimburse the entire taxi fare in addition to the refund. Instead, the commission ordered payment of the difference, along with separate compensation.

How much IndiGo has been ordered to pay

The commission partly allowed Bhasin's complaint and directed IndiGo to:

• Pay Rs 7,352 as the differential amount, with simple interest at 9% per annum from September 18, 2026, onwards.
• Pay Rs 7,000 as a lump-sum amount for mental agony, harassment and litigation costs.

This brings the principal amount ordered under the two heads to Rs 14,352, excluding interest.

IndiGo must comply within 45 days of receiving the certified copy of the order. If it fails to do so, the amounts specified in the order will attract simple interest at 12% per annum from the expiry of the 45-day period until realisation.

The commission dismissed the complaint against Yatra Online Limited.

The ruling addresses the consequences of this particular cancellation and the evidence presented in the case. It does not establish that airlines must reimburse every passenger's alternative travel expenses following a cancellation, irrespective of the circumstances.