Airline cancelled their flight hours before departure, ruining the family holiday; 4 years later, passengers get over ₹16 lakh

A family trip to Ooty and Mudumalai turned into a costly experience for 33 passengers after Alliance Air cancelled their Hyderabad-Mysore flight less than three hours before departure. More than four years later, the passengers have received over ₹16 lakh in compensation and interest, but only after a Hyderabad consumer court issued non-bailable warrants against airline officials for failing to pay the amount ordered earlier, Bar and Bench reported on Saturday.

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-II, Hyderabad, closed the case on October 14 after the airline made the full payment.

What happened to the passengers?

On June 2, 2022, a group of 33 family members, including senior citizens and infants, reached Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport to board a flight to Mysore.

Less than three hours before departure, Alliance Air sent an SMS informing them that the flight had been cancelled.

The passengers were left stranded without assistance or refreshments. The airline offered alternative seats, but only for a few members of the group. It later advised the family to cancel the trip altogether.

The cancellation cost the family ₹2.70 lakh in non-refundable hotel bookings in Ooty and Mudumalai. They had also booked cabs in advance.

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What did the consumer court order?

On July 11, 2024, the commission found Alliance Air guilty of gross deficiency in service and failure to follow Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) passenger care norms.

It ordered the airline to pay ₹2.70 lakh for financial losses, ₹9.90 lakh as compensation at ₹30,000 per passenger, and ₹20,000 in legal costs.

The payment was due within 45 days, failing which 12% annual interest would apply. The complaint against Air India was dismissed as it was a separate company following privatisation.

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Why did the airline finally pay?

When Alliance Air failed to pay, the passengers approached the commission again.

On August 25, 2026, the commission rejected the airline's request under Section 317 CrPC for exemption from personal appearance and issued non-bailable warrants against airline officials.

Following the warrants, Alliance Air paid the full amount along with interest, taking the total past ₹16 lakh.

The commission, comprising President Vakkanti Narasimha Rao and Members P V T R Jawahar Babu and Suma Vala, closed the proceedings on October 14 and recalled the warrants.