India consumer panel orders Qatar Airways to pay ₹10 lakh for denying boarding to minors

Minors were denied boarding during a return journey from Kochi to Italy via Doha. The family had to later obtain fresh travel documents and transport both children back to Italy separately, incurring additional expense.

Updated - July 21, 2026 05:14 pm IST - KOCHI

The Hindu Bureau

The Ernakulam District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed Qatar Airways to pay ₹10 lakh as compensation and ₹25,000 as litigation costs to a family in Kannur for denying boarding to two minor children during a return journey from Kochi to Italy.

Background

The order was passed on a complaint filed by Roshan Jose, a native of Chemberi in Kannur, and his two minor sons. Mr. Jose and his wife, Vinaya—both expatriates in Italy—had travelled from Venice to Kochi via Doha on Qatar Airways in November 2018. The airline verified their travel documents and issued boarding passes without objection.

According to the order, Mr. Jose holds a family visa in which the name of his youngest son, then aged 10 months, was not included since it was under process. The authorities had issued a receipt for that, which was accepted as a travel document.

Incident

During the return journey on December 3, 2018, the airline denied boarding to their elder son, then aged 6, at Kochi airport, citing the absence of an independent visa. The parents proceeded to Doha with their infant son after leaving the older child with relatives in Kerala, as both had to report back to work in Italy.

At Doha, the airline again refused to allow the infant to board the connecting flight to Venice, despite having already issued a boarding pass from Kochi. This forced the father to return to Kerala with the child.

Emotional Distress

The family had to later obtain fresh travel documents and transport both children back to Italy separately, incurring additional expenses. They also alleged that the airline’s action caused emotional distress to the children, as they were separated from their parents for several weeks.

Commission's Findings

During the hearing, Qatar Airways contended that passengers alone are responsible for carrying valid travel documents, and that the passengers were barred by various treaties and conventions—a standard practice for airlines operating internationally.

The commission, however, observed that the airline had accepted the same documents during the onward journey and had even issued boarding passes for the return trip. It held that the subsequent refusal was arbitrary, inconsistent, and amounted to deficiency in service as well as unfair trade practice.

“The mental agony, emotional trauma and untold hardship suffered by the parents were the direct and inevitable consequence of the wrongful conduct of the opposite party,” reads the order issued by the commission’s president D.B. Binu and members V. Ramachandran and Sreevidhia T.N.

Published - July 21, 2026 05:13 pm IST