Court orders AirAsia to pay farmer Rs 90,750 after delayed flight damaged rare jackfruit plant

NEW DELHI: A consumer commission has directed AirAsia to pay Rs 90,750 as compensation after a hybrid jackfruit sapling carried by a farmer was damaged due to a flight delay.The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Palakkad, Kerala, pronounced the order on 8 May 2026 after AirAsia failed to appear before the commission and was proceeded against ex-parte.What was the disputeThe complainant, Abdul Azeez C, a farmer from Palakkad engaged in “cultivation and research of hybrid fruit species,” had travelled from Kochi to Kuala Lumpur on 26 August 2025, and the next day from Kuala Lumpur to Kualanamu, Indonesia, specifically to purchase a hybrid jackfruit sapling for his farm.His return journey on 30 August 2025 was from Medan-Kualanamu to Kochi via Kuala Lumpur.However, the flight from Medan-Kualanamu was delayed for several hours, causing him to reach Kuala Lumpur after the connecting flight to Kochi had already departed.Stranded at Kuala Lumpur airport, the complainant immediately approached AirAsia authorities requesting an alternative flight on the same day.He was even ready to pay extra amount as he was carrying a sensitive hybrid jackfruit sapling that would not survive prolonged delay.However, AirAsia officials informed him that the next available flight to Kochi was only after three days, on 2 September 2025.The commission found this to be a misleading statement, as the complainant himself managed to book another AirAsia flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kochi on 31 August 2025 and reached Kochi the same day, producing the ticket as evidence before the commission.Due to the delay and the missed connection, the sapling got damaged and became completely useless.“The entire expenses incurred for the trip became futile and the complainant is now compelled to undertake a fresh trip to Indonesia to purchase another sapling,” the commission noted.What the commission ruledSince AirAsia neither appeared before the commission nor filed any response despite notice being served by email on 7 February 2026, the commission proceeded ex-parte and held that in the absence of any contrary evidence, it would accept the complainant’s version.The commission observed that “the delay and missing of the connection flight were entirely due to deficiency in service and lack of co-ordination on the part of the opposite party.”“The complainant has suffered financial loss and mental agony due to the deficiency in service on the part of the opposite party and is bound to compensate the complainant for that,” the court further observed.Accordingly, the bench directed AirAsia to refund the entire ticket fare of Rs 30,750 for the Medan-Kualanamu to Kochi journey, reimburse travel and accommodation expenses of Rs 25,000, pay Rs 25,000 as compensation for deficiency in service, and Rs 10,000 as litigation costs.The amounts were directed to be paid within 45 days, failing which AirAsia would be liable to pay Rs 500 per month as solatium until final payment.