Flight Disruption Leaves Father-Son Stranded In Delhi; IndiGo, Turkish Airlines Ordered To Pay Over Rs 1.6 Lakh

Published 29 July 2026 · local

Flight Disruption Leaves Father-Son Stranded In Delhi; IndiGo, Turkish Airlines Ordered To Pay Over Rs 1.6 Lakh Published By, Last Updated: July 29, 2026, 12:05

Flight Disruption Leaves Father-Son Stranded In Delhi; IndiGo, Turkish Airlines Ordered To Pay Over Rs 1.6 Lakh Published By, Last Updated: July 29, 2026, 12:05 IST A Chandigarh consumer commission ordered IndiGo and Turkish Airlines to jointly pay over Rs 1.6 lakh after a codeshare flight disruption stranded a passenger and his son. The Chandigarh consumer commission held IndiGo and Turkish Airlines deficient in service after a codeshare flight disruption forced a passenger to buy expensive last-minute tickets to the US. (AI-generated image/News18) A district consumer commission in Chandigarh has directed IndiGo Airlines and Turkish Airlines to jointly pay over Rs 1.6 lakh, along with interest, to a passenger after finding that a disruption in their codeshare flight left him and his son stranded in Delhi, forcing them to purchase expensive last-minute tickets to the United States and causing the son to miss his university orientation programme. According to a Times of India (TOI) report, the Chandigarh District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission held that the airlines were deficient in service, observing that the passengers were not informed in advance about the disruption despite holding confirmed tickets. As per the report, complainant Mohit Bansal and his son had booked tickets from New Delhi to Detroit via Istanbul for August 15, 2025, through Turkish Airlines. The Delhi-Istanbul leg of the journey was to be operated by IndiGo under a codeshare agreement.

However, when they arrived at Delhi airport, IndiGo staff issued boarding passes only till Istanbul and informed them that their onward journey had been disrupted. Bansal told the commission that neither he nor his son had received any prior notification about the disruption, even though airlines are expected to alert passengers in advance. The timing made matters worse, as his son was scheduled to attend a mandatory university orientation programme in the United States on August 18, making it impossible to wait several more days for another available flight. The report mentioned that IndiGo offered hotel accommodation after the disruption. However, Bansal chose to stay with relatives in Gurugram while awaiting an alternative travel arrangement. He later learnt from Turkish Airlines that no seats were available to Detroit until August 20. Faced with no viable alternative, he purchased emergency Lufthansa tickets worth Rs 2,37,492 for himself and his son. The disruption also resulted in financial losses after he had to cancel hotel bookings in the United States, with part of the booking amount being non-refundable. Bansal subsequently approached the Chandigarh District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, seeking reimbursement of his additional expenses and compensation for the inconvenience caused. What The Airlines Told The Commission IndiGo argued that the flight had been downgraded due to operational reasons beyond its control, leading to seat constraints.