If the pandemic has accomplished one thing, it is highlighting the importance of sanitation and hygiene. More so for public spaces and transportation. In 2021, a couple flying with IndiGo from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport or RGIA in Hyderabad to the Kempegowda International Airport or KIA in Bengaluru had to sit through an unsanitary flight. They filed a complaint with the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-1 and the airline was recently directed to compensate them.
IndiGo To Pay ₹10,000 To A Couple Based In Hyderabad
According to an article which was recently published by The New Indian Express or TNIE, the flight was in the month of July in 2021. D Radhakrishna, who was the complainant, alleged that their coach was filled with used napkins, plastic bottles, and other garbage.
The situation was made even more serious by the fact that it happened when the world, at large, was still reeling from the pandemic. Looking at the garbage, his wife felt nauseated. The complainant even said that she vomited.
The IndiGo staff did clean the plane but did so after the passengers had been seated. However, the plane is supposed to be clean before their arrival. The consumer redressal commission therefore directed the airline to pay the complainant a total of ₹10,000 for the inconvenience caused.
Couple Allege That Unsanitary Conditions Brought On Illness
The airline is supposed to pay the couple within 45 days from July 1, as per the directive by the consumer court. In their defence, the airline said that the couple never mentioned this discomfort to either the ground staff or in the emails.
The bench also highlighted this same issue. They said that they never mentioned the physical discomfort caused to the complainant’s wife. They also failed to substantiate these claims.
This incident is a reminder for airlines to maintain hygiene. Clearing the trash before the arrival of passengers is a basic protocol and should be adhered to under all circumstances.
Have you ever witnessed anything similar? Let us know in the comments section below!
Cover Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons
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