New Delhi: Amid growing scrutiny over aviation security, IndiGo Airlines has been ordered to pay a compensation of Rs 1.5 lakh for providing an “unhygienic, dirty and stained” seat to a passenger flying from Baku to New Delhi earlier this year. The directive was issued by the New Delhi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, which found the airline guilty of deficiency in service.

Passenger alleges dirty seat, dismissive behaviour

The case was brought before the forum by a passenger named Pinki, who alleged that during her flight on January 2, she was assigned a seat that was visibly unclean and stained. Despite raising the issue, she claimed her complaint was handled in a “dismissive and insensitive manner” by the airline staff.

IndiGo, in its defence, stated that it had acknowledged the issue and assigned her a different seat, which she accepted and used to complete her journey. However, the commission found this response inadequate in light of the passenger’s overall experience.

Commission’s findings and observations

The three-member bench, comprising President Poonam Chaudhry and members Bariq Ahmed and Shekhar Chandra, delivered its order on July 9, which was made public recently. The forum said, “We hold that the opposite party (IndiGo) was guilty of deficiency in service.”

It added, “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.”

In addition to the compensation, IndiGo has also been directed to pay Rs 25,000 as litigation expenses.

Missing document weakens airline’s defence

A key factor in the forum’s decision was the airline’s failure to submit the Situation Data Display (SDD) report—an internal document used in aviation for monitoring flight operations and recording passenger-related incidents.

“There is no reference to this report in the written statement or in the evidence filed by the opposite party,” the forum noted. “The SDD is a crucial document... The absence of this document significantly weakens the opposite party’s defence.”

Recent incidents raise concerns

This judgment adds to a string of similar incidents involving IndiGo in recent months, ranging from customer complaints to operational lapses. While the airline remains one of the country’s largest carriers, incidents like this continue to raise questions about service quality and passenger care, particularly in an era where air travel is expected to meet increasingly high standards of hygiene and accountability.