New Delhi Consumer Commission Awards Rs 2 Lakh Compensation to Couple Over Last-Minute Honeymoon Flight Cancellation by IndiGo

According to a Live Law report, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-VI in New Delhi held IndiGo Airlines liable for service deficiency after a couple's honeymoon flight to Geneva via Istanbul was cancelled hours before departure. The order was passed on August 27, 2026.

Complainants Rishabh Maheshwari and Anisha Mangleek had booked tickets for Rs 54,428, scheduled to depart on May 17, 2024. The couple alleged they were informed of the cancellation at around 8:54 pm on May 16, 2024, disrupting their travel plans and jeopardising advance hotel and tour bookings.

Airline's Defence and Commission's Observations

• Airline Stand: IndiGo reportedly stated the cancellation was due to operational reasons beyond its control under force majeure and offered a full refund or alternative booking via its Plan B facility.
• Commission Ruling: The panel, comprising president Poonam Chaudhry and members Bariq Ahmad and Shekhar Chandra, observed that the airline failed to establish specific circumstances necessitating the cancellation and ruled that a general claim of operational reasons was insufficient.
• Compensation Awarded: The commission directed IndiGo to pay Rs 2 lakh as compensation for mental agony and harassment, along with Rs 50,000 for litigation expenses, to be paid within 45 days. Failure to comply will attract a 9% annual interest from the order date.

While the commission partly allowed the complaint, it declined to order the reimbursement of Rs 69,774 spent on alternative Etihad Airways tickets, noting that the complainants had not established entitlement to the higher fare difference. Verification of the original announcement can be conducted through official consumer forum records and legal reporting platforms.