Brussels-Chandigarh flight cancelled last moment, Army officer wins Rs 1.12 lakh

3 min readNew DelhiJul 17, 2026 04:00 PM IST

The complainant alleged that Indigo failed to arrange alternate flight. (Image generated using AI)

A district consumer commission in Punjab has directed IndiGo to pay Rs 1.12 lakh to an Army officer after the airline cancelled his Brussels-Chandigarh flight days before departure, forcing him and his family, including their 14-month-old child, to allegedly purchase expensive last-minute tickets from Amsterdam because their visas were expiring.

President Kuljit Pal Singh and member Ranvir Kaur held Indigo liable for unfair trade practice, observing that they had not arranged an alternative flight for the complainant, his wife, and their infant.

“It is very much possible for the OP to arrange the alternative flight for the complainant and his wife from Amsterdam through their own carrier, i.e., Indigo Airlines. Therefore, it is proved that it is an unfair trade practice on the part of the OP that they have not arranged the alternative flight for the complainant and his wife and their infant,” the order dated July 8 read.

Flight cancellation

According to the complainant, he had booked tickets on September 28, 2025, for travel from Brussels to Chandigarh via Istanbul and Mumbai on October 14, 2025, at a cost of Rs 69,382. The complainant alleged that a few days before departure, IndiGo began informing him through WhatsApp that the flight schedule had been affected, before finally cancelling the flight on October 12.

It was further stated that the airline offered an alternative flight, but no replacement flight was available on October 13 or 14. The option of travelling on October 15 was not feasible because the visas of his family were due to expire on October 14. The complainant stated that he was compelled to book a last minute flight from Amsterdam to Chandigarh for Rs 1.47 lakh. He also said that he had to incur expenses on hotel accommodation in Amsterdam, train travel and a non-refundable hotel booking in Brussels.

IndiGo contested the complaint and argued that the first leg of the journey was a codeshare flight operated by Turkish Airlines and that it was merely the marketing carrier. It claimed the flight had been cancelled due to force majeure or operational reasons beyond its control and that the complainant had voluntarily opted for a full refund.

Relief granted to passenger

The commission rejected Indigo’s argument and held that it cannot escape from its liability for sudden cancellation of the flight after receiving the flight fare. It noted that while the airline cited force majeure, it had failed to disclose any specific or convincing reason for the cancellation or produce material to substantiate the claim.

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“The complainant requested the OP to arrange the alternative flight for the complainant and his wife for the said date i.e. 14.10.2025, but the OP failed to arrange the another flight even from nearby airport,” the order read.

The commission held Indigo guilty of unfair trade practice for not arranging the alternative flight and directed it to pay the fare difference of the urgently arranged alternative flight from Amsterdam. The commission directed IndiGo to reimburse the fare difference of Rs 77,779 along with Rs 23,508 incurred towards hotel accommodation and train travel, totalling about Rs 1.02 lakh. It further directed to pay Rs 10,000 as compensation and litigation expenses.

For consumer-related grievances, individuals may contact the consumer helpline in their respective states and union territories (Punjab helpline: 0800-22577) or call the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 for assistance.

Ashish Shaji is a Senior Sub-Editor at The Indian Express, where he specializes in legal journalism. Combining a formal education in law with years of editorial experience, Ashish provides authoritative coverage and nuanced analysis of court developments and landmark judicial decisions for a national audience.

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