Qatar Airways Fined ₹10 Lakh for Denying Boarding to Minors

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Qatar Airways Ordered to Pay 10 Lakh Compensation After Denying Boarding to Minors

Kochi / New Delhi — A consumer court in Kerala has held Qatar Airways guilty of "deficiency in service" and "unfair trade practice," ordering the airline to pay 10 lakh in compensation and 25,000 in litigation costs to a family after denying boarding to their two minor children, including a 10-month-old infant.

The ruling was passed by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Ernakulam, headed by President D.B. Binu alongside members V. Ramachandran and Sreevidhia T.N.

What Happened?

• The Onward Journey: Roshan Jose, an Indian expatriate based in Italy, travelled from Venice to Kochi via Doha with his wife Vinaya and their two minor sons (aged 6 years and 10 months). Qatar Airways verified all their travel documents and issued boarding passes without objection for their trip to India.

• Denied at Kochi: During their return flight on December 3, 2018, airline officials at Kochi airport made the family wait for over two hours before refusing a boarding pass to the 6-year-old child just 10 minutes before departure, citing the lack of a separate visa. Fearing job loss in Italy, the parents left the older child with relatives at the airport and boarded with the infant.

• Transit Stranded in Doha: Upon reaching Doha, Qatar Airways stopped the family again, refusing to let the 10-month-old infant board the connecting flight to Venice—despite having already issued a valid boarding pass in Kochi.

• Family Separated: The mother had to fly to Venice alone to save her employment, while the father was forced to fly back to Kerala with the infant. The children were separated from their parents for weeks until separate visas and fresh travel arrangements were made.

The Court's Ruling

Qatar Airways defended its action by arguing that passengers bear sole responsibility for holding valid visas and travel documents.

However, the consumer forum rejected the defense, noting that the airline had verified and accepted the exact same set of documents during the initial journey from Italy to India.

"Having allowed the infant to travel from Venice to India, the subsequent refusal of permit for the return journey from India on the very same set of documents is patently inconsistent, unjustified and highly reprehensible."

— Ernakulam Consumer Forum Bench

The commission observed that the airline’s arbitrary actions caused severe mental agony, emotional trauma, and financial hardship to the parents. The airline has been ordered to pay the 10.25 lakh within 45 days, failing which an annual interest rate of 9% will apply.