Qatar Airways has been asked to pay the money within 45 days
Idukki: Ernakulam District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed Qatar Airways to pay Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the minor children of an expatriate couple after they were denied boarding passes at Kochi and Doha airports over alleged lack of travel documents. They requested the airline to allow him to travel, particularly as his school was due to reopen the following day. The family reported at the airline’s check-in counter at Kochi airport for the return journey with the required tickets and travel documents, according to the complaint.
The airline refused a boarding pass to Ron Roshan, citing inadequate travel documents while issuing passes to the other members of the family. The request was reportedly turned down, following which the child was sent home with relatives. Jose, Vinaya and their younger son travelled from Kochi to Doha. At Doha, the airline again refused to issue a boarding pass, this time to Rain.
However, the dispute could not be resolved before the connecting flight to Venice departed, according to the complaint. The family pointed out that the documents had already been accepted for their journey from Kochi to Doha. Jose was consequently forced to return to India with his younger son while Vinaya travelled alone to Venice on a subsequent flight. The complainants alleged that the denial of boarding to the two children, despite the documents having been accepted for their onward journey, caused them considerable hardship and loss.