Flynas Airlines Showed No Effort To Find Lost Baggage, Consumer Panel Orders ₹1.25 Lakh Compensation To Mumbai Flyer
Mumbai: A Mumbai-based woman and her family had gone on a holiday to Turkiye between December 23, 2023 and January 3, 2024. They were flying back home with a connecting flight from Istanbul to Mumbai via Riyadh, operated by Flynas Airlines, a Saudi Arabian low-cost carrier.
At the Istanbul airport, she checked in five bags. However, only four were tagged by the airline staff. The fifth bag went on the conveyor belt without a tag. She quickly informed the staff, who gave her a physical baggage tag and assured her that all bags would be delivered in Mumbai.
Only four bags arrive
On arrival at Mumbai airport, she received only four bags. The fifth one was missing. She tried contacting the airline through multiple ways — including emails, WhatsApp messages, personal visits, and written complaints. But her efforts brought no helpful reply from the airline.
Feeling helpless and frustrated, she decided to file a complaint with the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Mumbai (Suburban).
Airline did not attend hearings
Flynas Airlines did not respond to any of her complaints. Even after receiving the commission’s notice, the airline remained absent during the entire legal process. So, the case was heard ex-parte — without the airline’s presence.
After reviewing all the facts, the consumer panel said the airline showed "mala fide negligence" and purposely avoided steps that could have helped trace the lost bag.
Commission points out careless attitude
The panel said that Flynas did not even check the CCTV footage or make any real attempt to investigate the matter. It also noted that the passenger had followed all the rules for filing such a complaint under the Montreal Convention, an international treaty for airline liability.
However, the airline failed to act as per the Convention’s rules and also did not share any proof to support its side.
Compensation ordered
The panel ruled in favour of the passenger. It said the loss of the bag was genuine and happened due to Flynas Airlines’ careless attitude. The airline was ordered to:
Pay Rs 1.25 lakh to cover the value of the lost goods
Pay 6 per cent interest from January 15, 2025, until the full amount is paid
Pay Rs 10,000 more as compensation for mental harassment
(With PTI Inputs)
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