Elderly couple move HC for compensation over lack of food, medicine in Air India flight
New Delhi, Apr 19: A petition by an elderly couple on Monday in the Delhi High Court has sought a compensation of ₹five lakh from Air India alleging that in their 16 hour long flight the national carrier was without sufficient food and medical supplies.
Taking serious note of the plea of the couple, both senior citizens, who have also sought a direction that the airline return the ticket fare as there was lack of proper service by it, Justice Prathiba M Singh said "it is scary if this has happened".
The high court issued notice to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Air India, Airport Authority of India (AAI) and GMR Aerocity, which runs IGI airport, seeking their stand on the petition which narrated the ordeal of the couple during the 16 hour long flight from New Delhi to San Francisco on November 11, 2020.
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They
claimed
they
were
provided
one
hot
meal,
which
was
also
stale,
during
the
entire
course
of
the
journey
despite
informing
the
cabin
crew
that
one
of
them
was
diabetic
and
required
proper
meals.
The
couple
-
Nivedita
and
Anil
Sharma
--
in
their
petition
filed
through
advocate
Suruchi
Mittal
have
claimed
that
they
had
to
sustain
themselves
fruit
drinks
whenever
they
felt
their
sugar
levels
plummet
and
it
was
only
thanks
to
food
offered
by
a
co-passenger
that
they
were
able
to
sustain
themselves
during
the
flight.
They have contended that the airline "has no business to carry 400 plus people on a long haul flight without having sufficient food, water and basic amenities including basic and emergency medicine".
They have also contended that the airline cannot unilaterally decide that they will serve only one meal without informing the passengers who normally do not carry food on flights and therefore, "endangering their health and life" in such "casual and lackadaisical manner".
They have sought refund of the ticket cost of ₹2.25 lakh each and a compensation of ₹five lakh for securing their booking allegedly by making false representations and for not complying with airworthiness requirement, as mandated by DGCA CIvil Aviation Requirements, with regard to medical supplies in the aircraft to help counter and tackle emergencies onboard.
The petition has claimed that not even necessary medications like anti-diarrheal or oral rehydration solution medicines were available in the aircraft for the 16 hour long flight.
The other issues raised in the plea are lack of a proper responsive or functional grievance redressal mechanism, for complaints which risks the health and safety of passengers and non-availability of club carts or wheelchairs at IGI airport to ferry aged or ailing passengers like the petitioners.
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The petition has sought a direction to the ministry, DGCA, the airline and the airport authorities to constitute an independent committee to review quality and quantity of food served to passengers depending on flight duration.
They have also sought a direction to the authorities to ensure medical supplies to tackle emergencies are available onboard, providing wheelchairs and carts to ferry aged or ailing passengers and creation of a responsive and functional grievance redressal mechanism to deal with deficiencies in safety requirements by airlines.