Qatar Airways Ordered to Pay Rs 10 Lakh to Kannur Family

Ernakulam District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered Qatar Airways to pay ₹10 lakh as compensation and ₹25,000 as litigation cost to a family in Kannur after the airline denied boarding to two minor children on their return journey from Kochi to Italy.

The complaint was filed by Roshan Jose, from Chemberi in Kannur, and his two minor sons. Mr. Jose and his wife, Vinaya, are expatriates in Italy. In November 2018, they travelled from Venice to Kochi via Doha on Qatar Airways after the airline checked their travel documents and issued boarding passes without any objection.

According to the order, Mr. Jose had a family visa. His youngest son, who was 10 months old at the time, was not included in the visa because the process was still pending. The authorities had issued a receipt for the pending visa, and it was accepted as a travel document.

But on December 3, 2018, during the return trip, the airline stopped their elder son, who was then 6 years old, from boarding at Kochi airport. The reason given was the absence of an independent visa. After that, the parents continued to Doha with their infant son and left the older child with relatives in Kerala, as both parents had to return to work in Italy. At Doha, Qatar Airways again refused boarding to the infant for the connecting flight to Venice, even though a boarding pass had already been issued from Kochi. This forced the father to go back to Kerala with the child.

Emotional distress and extra expense

The family later had to get fresh travel documents and send both children back to Italy separately. This caused extra expenses and also emotional stress, as the children were kept away from their parents for several weeks.

During the hearing, Qatar Airways said passengers are responsible for carrying valid travel documents. The airline also said the passengers were barred under various treaties and conventions, and that this is a standard practice followed by international airlines.

The commission did not accept the airline’s argument. It observed that Qatar Airways had accepted the same documents during the onward journey and had also issued boarding passes for the return trip. The commission said the later refusal was arbitrary and inconsistent. It also held that this amounted to deficiency in service and unfair trade practice.

The order, issued by commission president D.B. Binu and members V. Ramachandran and Sreevidhia T.N., said the mental agony, emotional trauma, and hardship faced by the parents were the direct result of the airline’s wrongful action.