Hair in food served in flight; Court orders Air India to pay compensation of Rs 35,000 to passenger

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has ordered a compensation of Rs 35,000 after hair was found in the meal served to a passenger on an Air India flight. The high court reduced the compensation amount to Rs 35,000 in the appeal filed by Air India against the civil court order to award a compensation of Rs one lakh. Justice P B Balaji delivered the verdict.

A passenger on an Air India flight from Colombo to Chennai found hair in the food. He complained about this to the flight attendants, but no action was taken. He then approached the court. In his complaint, the passenger said that he suffered from vomiting and stomach pain after having the food. He filed a petition in the Chennai Additional Civil Court seeking a compensation of Rs 11 lakh. Subsequently, the court ordered a compensation of Rs 1 lakh in 2022. The high court's verdict has now come on a petition filed by Air India against this.

Air India argued that the five-star hotel that supplies the food to be served on the flight should also be made a party to the plea. However, the court pointed that there was no evidence for the hair being found in the food. The high court also clarified that the passenger had no dealings with the catering service, other than with the airline.