National panel gives airlines a breather

New Delhi: Giving a boost to airlines that have been accused of frequent delays in their flights, the National Consumer Redressal Commission has stayed a state commission’s order which had directed Alliance Air and Indian Airlines to pay a minimum compensation of Rs 10,000 to every domestic passenger, and Rs 20,000 for each international passenger for inordinate delays in departures.
The Delhi State Commission on December 20 last year had allowed the claims made by one Daljit Singh Nirman.
The airlines’ counsel Lalit Bhasin argued before the national panel that delays in flights operations were attributable to many factors such as hostile weather, technical snags, ATC clearance, VVIP movements and closure of runways for maintenance and airlines alone could not be blamed for the same.
Bhasin also argued that the state commission passed a general order, in a case where other airlines were neither a party nor given a chance to be heard. A bench stayed the state commission’s order and fixed October 10 for hearing the case.
10/04/07 Daily News & Analysis

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