IndiGo slapped with heavy fine for providing ‘unhygienic, dirty seat’ to passenger

The New Delhi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, comprising President Poonam Chaudhry and members Bariq Ahmed and Shekhar Chandra, addressed a complaint from Pinki, who claimed she was given an "unhygienic, dirty, and stained" seat during a flight from Baku to New Delhi on January 2, 2023.

"As regards the discomfort and pain, mental agony suffered by her, we are of the view that she must be compensated. We accordingly direct the opposite party to pay Rs 1.5 lakh as compensation for mental agony, physical pain and harassment to her," the forum added.

The forum also directed payment of Rs 25,000 as litigation expenses.

In its order, the forum noted that the airline had not provided the Situation Data Display (SDD) report, a component of its internal operational records as per standard aviation procedures.

"There is no reference to this report in the written statement or in the evidence filed by the opposite party. The SDD is a crucial document used for flight operation monitoring and to record passenger-related incidents. The absence of this document significantly weakens the opposite party's defence."