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Airline told to pay damages

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI JULY 24. It has become a worry that most travellers just have to live with. With stories of loss of bags on airports becoming more frequent, passengers can only rely on luck to find their baggage as this Delhiite learnt the hard way.

Travelling by Ethiopian Airlines, N.K Aggarwal did not expect that the suitcase he booked at Lagos would not arrive at his next destination Addis Ababa. Having lost his clothes, original letters, documents and other valuable items, his trip to Africa was memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Stranded in an alien city for days, the airlines never fulfilled their promise of finding the suitcase.

A District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum held Ethiopian Airlines guilty of deficiency and directed the airlines to pay Mr. Aggarwal the equivalent of 400 dollars in rupees.

The airlines was also asked to pay the amount at an interest of 9 per cent, along with Rs. 5,000 as compensation.

In its defence, the Ethiopian Airlines argued that Mr. Aggarwal had exaggerated his claim. The airlines also denied that they had asked Mr. Aggarwal to stay in Addis Ababa for a few days.

They also stated that under the First Schedule of Carriage by Air Act they were only liable to pay 20 dollars per kg. After going through all the evidence, a bench of the New Delhi consumer court said the offer made by the Ethiopian Airlines was genuine and bona fide. But they are liable for deficiency of service as they did not help him at Addis Abba to meet his urgent requirements.

The court therefore directed the airlines to pay Mr. Aggarwal the equivalent of 400 dollars at 9 per cent. The airlines were also required to pay a further Rs. 5,000 as compensation.

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