Akasa Air is under fire for allegedly demanding a ₹5,000 minor fee in cash from two sisters, aged 9 and 17. The ground crew refused to let them board without paying the unaccompanied minor fee. They told them to either pay the fee or miss their flight. The family alleged that the airline’s lack of prior notice caused distress and trauma to the sisters.
Sisters Denied Boarding By Akasa Air
Two sisters, Mahira, aged 9 and Manyata, aged 17, had a difficult experience with Akasa Air. At Kolkata Airport, the airline allegedly demanded ₹5000 for an unaccompanied minor fee. According to The Economic Times, the sisters were travelling to Ahmedabad to reunite with their mother. Manyata offered to pay the amount via UPI, but the airline staff refused. They said the counter was closed and a QR code couldn’t be generated. They insisted on cash payment. As per the reports, Akasa Air did not consider 17-year-old Manyata a legal adult to accompany her younger sister and demanded additional fees. Eventually, the girls pooled in the cash with help from cousins who were flying on a different airline.
Family Raises Questions Over Minor Fee
As per ET, Mahira and Manyata were booked on flight QP 1926 to Ahmedabad with Akasa Air. The staff’s refusal to accept Manyata as a legal adult has sparked debate online. It raised questions about the airline’s policies on unaccompanied minors and the lack of clarity at booking. Their mother, Shalini Dugar, expressed anger and said that the staff told her daughters to either pay or miss the flight. The family also said this caused her daughters great distress.
The girls and their cousins were returning from a family holiday in Nepal. They had travelled from Siliguri to Kolkata and were on their way to Ahmedabad. The family also stated that no unaccompanied minor fee had ever been charged on their previous flights. Moreover, the aunt of the sisters also claimed that the booking page had shown passengers above 12 years as adults, and there was no mention of any fee at the time of booking.
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Airline Responds To The Claim
Responding to this, Akasa Air mentioned that as per Indian aviation regulations, any passenger under the age of 12, travelling without an adult, is classified as an unaccompanied minor. Furthermore, they need mandatory assistance, documentation, and an unaccompanied minor fee, which is standard across the industry, something they have clearly outlined on their website as well, along with all other relevant guidelines for travel by minors.
According to the airline, at the time of booking, the necessary information was either not entered or selected incorrectly, due to which the unaccompanied minor protocols were not applied. “It was during the check-in process that the Akasa team, upon verifying the government-issued ID cards, realised that both passengers were minors. Upon discovery, our staff promptly intervened to ensure full compliance with unaccompanied minor safety protocols. The applicable fee was then levied,” Akasa Air shared.
Furthermore, the Akasa Air team mentioned that they accompanied the minor to the exit and verified the government ID of the authorised person receiving the minor. “Our staff followed all regulatory and internal protocols at every step of the journey to ensure the safety and well-being of the young passengers,” the airline insisted.
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Cover Image Courtesy: akasaair/ Instagram
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