The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (DCDRC) in Ernakulam has ordered Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) to compensate passenger T G N Kumar with Rs 16,000 for not providing rain shelter in 2015. Kumar alleged that he caught a fever after flying from Cochin airport to New Delhi all drenched as there was no rain shelter facility while boarding the flight. The complainant, who claimed to be a frequent flyer, alleged that he lost lakhs due to the poor management of the airport but claimed only Rs 1 lakh for the said instance. CIAL had claimed that the petition was made with malevolent intentions.
In its verdict, the consumer forum found CIAL guilty of not providing a boarding ladder with a rain canopy or cover. The forum stated that the airport authorities failed to prove their claim that it was up to airline companies to provide passengers with such facilities. “We cannot be mute spectators when consumers approach commissions like these for the redressal of their grievances which cannot be raised elsewhere,” the order said.
Of the Rs 16,000, Rs 8,000 goes as compensation for the physical discomfort and mental agony caused to the complainant and Rs 8,000 to cover the cost of procedures. The complaint was filed against the managing director, CIAL; chairman (CM), CIAL, chief secretary, Government of Kerala; commandant, CISF, CIAL; director general CISF, Ministry of Home Affairs; and chairman, Airport Authority of India.
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