Air India Ordered to Compensate Passenger ₹35,000 for Damages and Emotional Distress Caused by Missing Luggage

The South Mumbai District Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission has ordered Air India to pay Rs. 25,000 to a passenger, Kamal Nayan Singh, for the loss of his checked-in baggage during a flight from Mumbai to Delhi in 2015. The commission also ordered the airline to pay Rs. 10,000 as compensation for the complainant’s mental agony, time spent pursuing the matter, and litigation costs. However, the commission rejected the complainant’s claim of Rs. 1,33,500 for the alleged loss of items in the baggage, citing lack of documentary evidence to support the claim. The airline had made efforts to locate the missing baggage, but the complainant failed to provide evidence of the contents or value of the items in the lost baggage. The commission noted that the airline’s liability for lost baggage is limited under the Carriage by Air Act, 1972, and associated rules.