January 06, 2026 : The Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ruled that cancellation of international flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting government restrictions does not amount to deficiency in service under consumer law.
Dismissing a first appeal filed by Har Mohan Singh, the Commission upheld the rejection of a consumer complaint against MakeMyTrip India Pvt. Ltd. and Korean Airlines Co. Ltd., holding that the refund already granted was in line with Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) guidelines and that a booking intermediary cannot be held responsible for circumstances beyond its control.
The appeal, registered as FA/377/2023, was decided by a Bench comprising Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal, President, and Bimla Kumari, Member. The Commission found no infirmity in the earlier order of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, which had dismissed the complaint on similar grounds.
The complainant had booked a confirmed round-trip ticket from Delhi to Los Angeles through MakeMyTrip. The onward journey on March 2, 2020, was completed as scheduled on Korean Airlines, with the return flight fixed for May 26, 2020. However, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the suspension of international commercial flights, the return flight was cancelled.
Alleging that no prior intimation was given, the complainant claimed he was forced to stay in the United States for an additional 27 days and eventually returned to India on June 22, 2020, through a special flight operated under the Government of India’s Vande Bharat Mission. He sought a full refund of the cancelled return ticket along with compensation for additional expenses and alleged mental harassment.
The airline and the booking platform refunded ₹27,275 to the complainant after deducting non-refundable components, including the utilised portion of the ticket and convenience fees. Dissatisfied with the partial refund, the complainant approached the consumer forum.
The District Commission held that international flights were cancelled due to an unprecedented public health emergency and that refunds had been processed strictly in accordance with the DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements dated May 22, 2008. It found no deficiency in service on the part of either the airline or the booking intermediary.
Affirming this view, the State Commission noted that the complainant had booked his ticket prior to the nationwide lockdown. As a result, his case was not covered by the Supreme Court’s directions in Pravasi Legal Cell v. Union of India, and the refund had to be governed solely by DGCA guidelines.
The Commission observed that MakeMyTrip acted only as a travel facilitator and had no control over flight operations or cancellations, which were subject to airline decisions and government restrictions. It also held that the cancellation of flights by Korean Airlines due to the pandemic constituted a force majeure situation and could not be treated as a service deficiency.
The Bench further noted that the complainant had claimed exaggerated compensation without placing any cogent evidence on record to justify such claims. Finding no merit in the appeal, the Commission dismissed it with no order as to costs, thereby upholding the rejection of the consumer complaint.
Cause Title: Har Mohan Singh v. MakeMyTrip India Pvt. Ltd. & Ors.
Case No.: FA/377/2023
