Opinion | IndiGo Could Pay Dearly If India’s Consumer Anger Finds Collective Voice
IndiGo faces potential legal action from passengers due to massive flight delays and cancellations, with India’s Consumer Protection Act offering avenues for collective redressal.Summary
Recent widespread flight disruptions caused by IndiGo have sparked significant consumer anger, raising the possibility of collective legal action. Despite India lacking formal class action lawsuits like the US, the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) of 2019 allows for representative petitions in consumer commissions, enabling a large group of aggrieved passengers to seek compensation. IndiGo’s failure to comply with updated Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), despite warnings, is a key factor in the crisis.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has issued a show cause notice to IndiGo, demanding refunds and baggage return, but passengers can also pursue legal recourse under Sections 35 and 89 of the CPA. Previous cases, such as the 2023 Air India Express delays and the Aakriti Aquacity Homebuyers case, demonstrate the potential for successful collective claims, with the NCDRC ordering significant compensation in the former and the Noida Consumer Forum awarding over Rs 1,000 crore in refunds and damages in the latter.
Passengers are entitled to compensation for delays exceeding three hours and full refunds for cancellations, and a single representative can file a petition on behalf of thousands. The author, Abhijit Majumder, argues that the IndiGo situation is ripe for citizen activism, but hinges on passengers uniting to collectively voice their grievances and seek justice.
(Source：News18)