A consumer court in Chandigarh has ruled that both an airline and a travel agency are responsible when a passenger is not informed about a flight cancellation in advance.
The case involved a passenger who had booked a flight from Delhi to Sharjah through Air India via a travel agency. He arrived at the airport in May 2022 only to discover that his flight had been cancelled without any prior notice, forcing him to purchase a new ticket and miss an important business meeting.
Both the airline and the travel agent denied responsibility, each claiming the other was responsible for informing the passenger. The court rejected this argument, stating that airlines and agents form part of the same service chain and share accountability for proper communication with customers.
As a result, the commission increased compensation for mental harassment to ₹1 lakh, ordered reimbursement of additional expenses, and awarded litigation costs. The court emphasized that passengers should not suffer due to breakdowns in communication between service providers.
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