A district consumer court in Himachal Pradesh has ordered IndiGo Airlines to pay Rs 22,000, including refund, compensation and litigation costs, to a family that was denied boarding despite holding valid tickets and boarding passes for a Delhi-Vadodara flight.

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Hamirpur, held that the airline failed to produce any evidence supporting its claim that the passengers had reported late at the boarding gate.

Commission president Hemanshu Mishra and members Sneh Lata and Joginder Mahajan were hearing a complaint filed by one Captain Prem Chand Chauhan, Soma Devi and Vikram Aditya Chauhan against IndiGo Airlines.

“It is noteworthy that Complainant No. 1 is a senior citizen, aged about 67 years, and was expected to be appropriately assisted and facilitated by the ground staff of the Opposite Party (airline). Instead of rendering the necessary assistance to an elderly citizen, the Opposite Party mechanically marked the Complainants as a ‘No Show’,” the commission said on June 12.

“Once valid boarding passes have been issued, it becomes obligatory upon the airline staff to actively facilitate passengers, particularly elderly citizens and their co-travellers, to ensure they board the flight,” the commission added.

While the complainants had sought Rs 9 lakh as compensation, the commission held that they had failed to establish financial losses of such magnitude. However, it found merit in their grievance regarding the additional amount charged for rescheduling.

“Since the Opposite Party forced a rescheduling of the flight and collected an additional Rs 11,010/- for the same without any justifiable cause or supporting evidence of delay on the passengers’ part, we are of the firm opinion that the Opposite Party must refund this amount,” the Commission said.

Allowing the complaint, the commission directed IndiGo to:

IndiGo contested the complaint and maintained that the passengers had failed to report at the boarding gate before its closure.

The airline argued that the boarding gate for Flight 6E-5117 had been closed in accordance with standard operating procedures before departure and that the passengers reached the gate only at 5.15 am, after closure. According to the airline, the passengers were consequently marked as “No Show”.

It also claimed that boarding announcements had been made and that the passengers were later accommodated on another flight after paying the applicable rescheduling charges and fare difference. The airline denied allegations of rude behaviour or forcible deboarding.

After examining the record, the commission noted that IndiGo had failed to substantiate its defence.

The bench observed that despite receiving five opportunities to lead evidence, the airline failed to do so. Consequently, its evidence was closed by an order dated April 8, 2026.

The commission noted that while the airline repeatedly asserted that the passengers had reached the gate after its closure, no documentary or oral evidence was produced to establish the claim.

“The sole defense raised by the Opposite Party is that the boarding gate closed at 05:10 AM, whereas the Complainants reached the gate at 05:15 AM. However, no evidence has been produced by the Opposite Party to substantiate this assertion,” the order said.

The commission also took note of the boarding passes issued to the complainants, which were later marked as cancelled.

The ruling is likely to attract attention from air travellers across the country because it underscores a key principle in consumer law – airlines must be able to substantiate claims when denying boarding to passengers.

The decision also reinforces the obligation of airlines to extend reasonable assistance to senior citizens and highlights that merely labelling passengers as “No Show” may not be sufficient unless supported by credible evidence.

For travellers who have faced last-minute boarding disputes, the Hamirpur commission’s order serves as a reminder that consumer forums remain an avenue for challenging airline decisions when passengers believe they have been treated unfairly.

For consumer-related grievances, individuals may contact consumer helpline in their respective states (Himachal Pradesh helpline: 1800-180-8087) or call the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 for assistance.