BJP leader, singer Hans Raj backs Diljit Dosanjh, says Pakistani actors not at fault
An Air India flight AI-103 from Delhi to Washington DC has been held back in Vienna due to an extended maintenance task identified during a routine check. The flight made a planned fuel stop in Vienna on July 2nd, but the onward journey to Washington DC was canceled. Air India has issued a statement citing the maintenance task in the context of heightened scrutiny following a recent aircraft crash in Ahmedabad. Passengers with valid Schengen visas have been accommodated in Vienna, while others await permission from Austrian authorities. The return flight AI-104 from Washington DC to Delhi has also been canceled. Air India is offering full refunds or rescheduling options to affected passengers.
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Mint
4 hours ago
- Mint
Air India pilot collapses moments before flying Delhi-bound plane in Bengaluru, airline says ‘in hospital but stable'
An Air India Delhi-bound flight was delayed in the early hours of July 4 after the pilot collapsed shortly before take-off and was rushed to the hospital in Bengaluru, an Air India spokesperson said. Flight AI2414 from Bengaluru to Delhi was delayed and operated by another member of the airlines cockpit crew, the spokesperson said. The pilot is stable but is still under observation in the hospital, the spokesperson added. 'There was a medical emergency involving one of our pilots in the early hours of 04 July. As a result, the pilot was unable to operate the flight AI2414 from Bengaluru to Delhi, that he was rostered for, and was taken to a local hospital immediately,' the spokesperson said. A PTI report quoting sources said that the pilot was in the cockpit and was about to sign the mandatory documents – tech log – to accept the aircraft for flying when he collapsed there. 'He is currently stable but continues to be under the supervision of doctors at the same hospital. Consequently, AI2414 was delayed and operated by another member of our cockpit crew. Our immediate priority is to assist the pilot and his family to ensure his speedy recovery,' the statement added. Air India cancelled its New Delhi to Washington DC flight on Wednesday after a technical issue during a routine stopover in Vienna led to extended maintenance work, an airline spokesperson said. According to an ANI report, the onward Vienna-Washington segment was cancelled, and all passengers were disembarked in Vienna. The disruption also led to the cancellation of the return flight AI104 from Washington, DC to Delhi via Vienna. Air India stated that affected passengers have been rebooked on alternate services or offered full refunds, depending on their preferences. "Flight AI103 from Delhi to Washington, DC on 2 July 2025 made a planned fuel stop in Vienna. During routine aircraft checks, an extended maintenance task was identified, which required rectification before the next flight and, thus, additional time for completion," an airline spokesperson said in a statement. "Due to this, the Vienna to Washington, DC leg was cancelled, and passengers were disembarked. Passengers eligible for visa-free entry or those with valid Schengen visas were provided with hotel accommodations in Vienna until the next available flight. For those without entry permission, accommodations are being arranged, pending immigration and security clearances by Austrian authorities. Consequently, flight AI104 from Washington, DC, to Delhi via Vienna was also cancelled, and the affected passengers have been rebooked on alternative flights to Delhi or offered full refunds based on their preferences," the airline added. (With inputs from agencies)
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Air India plane crash: Tragedy spotlights history of migration from Diu
Firangi Wado, the foreigners street, of tiled homes and chapels near Diu Fort dates back to 16th-century Portuguese settlements on India's west coast. There are barely any foreigners there now, but the connection to Europe remains strong. Nearly 70% of Diu's population (51,000 as per the 2011 census) belongs to the fishing community. (HT PHOTO/Representative) Diu remained under Portuguese rule until 1961, although India gained its independence from the British 14 years earlier. For decades, Portugal allowed people from Diu citizenship, allowing visa-free access to Britain until Brexit, the country's exit from the European Union (EU) in 2020. Diu's deep links with Europe were in the spotlight when it emerged that 14 of 241 people on board the London-bound Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight, which crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport on June 12, were either from Diu or had roots in the region. Seven of the 14 were Portuguese, three were British nationals, and four were Indian passport holders. They were travelling to rejoin family or return to work. The lone survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British citizen, who lost his brother Ajay Ramesh in the crash, also has roots in Diu. The Ramesh brothers were flying back after spending time with their family and relatives in Diu. At least eight of the 14 had roots in Diu's Bhusalwada. 'Our village has a population of 4,000. In the last two decades, at least 6,500–7,000 people have migrated to the UK and Portugal. Earlier, it was easy to become a UK citizen through Portugal. Now, after Brexit, things have changed,' said Bhusalwada village head Deepak Solanki. Brexit marked a shift for the people of Diu. For years, the Portugal-UK pathway was the most common migration route. Portuguese passport holders could no longer freely enter Britain after Brexit. Some managed to register under the EU Settlement Scheme. Others never made it. Still, the dream persists. Vrushank Bamaniya, a resident, said people in Diu continue to pursue the dream of emigrating to the UK. 'Even a councillor in Leicester [Luis Fonseca] was from Diu a few years ago. There is a mini-Diu there. However, things changed after Brexit.' He said the entire island was in mourning after the crash. 'Every funeral had hundreds of villagers in attendance as it is a small and close-knit society,' he said. Dui's nodal officer, Asker Ali, said the region was still coming to terms with the enormity of the tragedy. 'This island has not faced such a tragedy in a very long time.' He said nine families of the 14 killed in the crash were mourning. 'There has been migration to countries like the UK and Portugal in the past, but in the last five years, the trend is slowly reversing. The focus on development, health, and livelihood has been a major reason for this.' He said Diu, a part of the Union Territory of Dadra, Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, has been transformed in recent years. 'This year alone, it welcomed 400,000 tourists, operates entirely on solar power during daylight hours, and boasts new educational institutions alongside five-star hotels. Just months ago, it hosted the Khelo India Beach Games on Ghoghla Beach,' said Ali. A second government official said people from Diu keep travelling to the UK and other European countries, mostly for work. 'If the flight was in July or August, you may have found almost one-fourth of it with Diu passengers.' He added that people from Diu would travel abroad mostly via Mumbai until Ahmedabad emerged as the preferred port of departure in recent years. The official said at least 15,000–20,000 people from Diu are estimated to have settled in the UK and Portugal and obtained citizenship over the last two decades. 'They mainly go there for livelihood purposes and work in stores or other such labour-intensive jobs, including as crew members on ships. They return almost once every year to Diu.' Portuguese nationals Devji Lacmane, 60, and his wife, Vanita Cana, 55, were among those who were killed in the crash after visiting the Kumbh Mela and extending their stay in Diu. Faizan Rafique, 25, who was travelling to London on the Air India flight to work as a cab driver, was the only earning member of his family. Manav Bhamaniya, in his 20s, was returning to the UK after spending time with family in Diu. 'My son Manav got his UK visa about a year and a half ago, and he was selected for a job there from among 3,000 candidates. My brother's son and others from our family are already in the UK…What else is left for me to say? Everything I had is now gone,' said his father, Amrtulal Bhamaniya, a fisherman in Diu. Nearly 70% of Diu's population (51,000 as per the 2011 census) belongs to the fishing community. The fishing halts during the monsoon, leaving few avenues for livelihood.
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Time of India
Air passenger wins Rs 2.74 lakh compensation for loss of personal luggage in check-in bag but only after 6 years legal battle
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills How did this case start? August 7, 2019: The passenger embarked on a 41-day world tour and boarded a Air India flight for Paris from Delhi. He stayed in Paris, France for 3 days. The passenger embarked on a 41-day world tour and boarded a Air India flight for Paris from Delhi. He stayed in Paris, France for 3 days. August 10 to 15 of 2019: He travelled to Spain via road and then travelled to Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Vatican City. He travelled to Spain via road and then travelled to Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Vatican City. August 15, 2019: He took a flight from Rome to the United Kingdom (England) and stayed there for 10 days. He took a flight from Rome to the United Kingdom (England) and stayed there for 10 days. August 25, 2019: He took a flight for Toronto, Canada from the United Kingdom. He took a flight for Toronto, Canada from the United Kingdom. September 3 to 13 of 2019: He went to Vancouver from Toronto and then went to the United States of America and then came back to Vancouver. He went to Vancouver from Toronto and then went to the United States of America and then came back to Vancouver. September 13, 2019: His tour ended, and he took a flight back to India from Vancouver airport. His flight operated by China Eastern Airline (MU582) was from Vancouver to Delhi via Shanghai, China. He deposited his bag at the airline's (China Eastern Airline) check-in counter and it was scanned and tagged for Delhi. His tour ended, and he took a flight back to India from Vancouver airport. His flight operated by China Eastern Airline (MU582) was from Vancouver to Delhi via Shanghai, China. He deposited his bag at the airline's (China Eastern Airline) check-in counter and it was scanned and tagged for Delhi. September 14, 2019: He arrived in Shanghai, China and took the connecting flight for Delhi of the same airline. He arrived in Shanghai, China and took the connecting flight for Delhi of the same airline. September 15, 2019: He arrived at Delhi (Indira Gandhi International Airport) and had to wait for more than one and half hour to receive his luggage and on arrival of his luggage, the complainant was shocked to find it badly damaged and wrapped with tape. The damage to the luggage and the disturbance to its contents were not typical of routine handling. What did the District Consumer Commission say? State Consumer Commission finds the airline liable for deficiency of service under Article 10 of the Instruction rules It is true that when the complainant returned to India after successful completion of the journey, he received luggage in damaged condition. Perusal of the photographs of luggage shows that there was some damage in the luggage. It is also not disputed that the complainant (passenger) filled the Property Irregularity Report (PIR). It is also not disputed that luggage was found to be 1.5 kilogram less than the weight measured at Vancouver Airport. Since the weight of the luggage was found to be lesser, it is presumed that some articles were stolen by someone. It is the prime responsibility of the airline to compensate the complainant (passenger). Article 10 of the Instructions relating to liability for carriage by Air depicts that subject to the provisions of paragraphs No.1 and 2 of this articles, the carrier shall indemnify the consigner against all damage suffered by it, or by any other person to whom the consignor is liable, by reason of the irregularity, incorrectness or incompleteness of the particulars and statements inserted by the carrier or on its behalf in the cargo receipt or in the record preserved by other means referred to in para No.2 of Article 4. Since the complainant has specifically mentioned the stolen articles in the PIR (Property Irregularity Report), the complainant is entitled for the compensation as prayed for. The learned District Consumer Commission has rightly allowed the complaint of the complainant. The State Consumer Commission finds no reason or ground to interfere with the order of the learned District Consumer Commission. Hence the appeal being devoid of merit stands dismissed. What did the airline's lawyers say? Counsel for the appellant (airline) argued that the complainant (passenger) did not share the bill of the products that were claimed to be damaged. The appellant had started working from home since January 2020 as Covid-19 breakout in China during December 2019 and business in Airlines Industry, especially in China, was affected. The respondent-complainant (passenger) himself signed the PIR and admitted the loss to be of Rs 7,000 and loss of goods worth 2 lakh is malicious and after thought. The learned District Consumer Commission failed to appreciate that the IATA (International Air Transport Association) Montreal Convention rule in pilferage case that the appellant followed IATA rule which says 20 USD per KG was compensated to the passenger. The DGCA rules issued by the Govt. of India were also on the same lines. In this case, 1.5 kg was missing and USD30 should be compensated but the learned District Consumer Commission wrongly awarded Rs.1.75 lakh to the appellant. The complainant is not entitled for the relief as prayed for. What is the significance of this case's judgement for consumers? On September 15, 2019, Kumar, a traveller arriving from Canada to Delhi, got the shock of his life when he spotted his check-in bag on the luggage conveyor belt, all damaged and taped up. After taking a closer look, he realized that several expensive items worth around Rs 2 lakh (USD 3,633) were missing from the bag. He immediately went to the airline 's counter at Delhi airport to file a PIR (Property Irregularity Report). The airline staff looked into it and confirmed that 1.5 kg of luggage was indeed missing from his bag that came from the Canada to Delhi compensation for the missing items in his bag the airline offered him a USD 30 (Rs 2560 as of July 4, 2025, exchange rate) for the missing items. Feeling dissatisfied with such a small compensation amount, he filed a consumer complaint with the District Consumer Commission and later with the Haryana State Consumer Commission. The airline ended up losing the case in both the items missing from his check-in bag included his Armani jacket and pullover, Rado wristwatch, 25-gram gold chain, Chanel perfume and a few other things. The total value of all these personal belongings was claimed to be USD 3633 or about Rs 2 lakh (as of September 2019 exchange rates).The airline calculated the compensation amount based on the IATA (International Air Transport Association) Montreal Convention guidelines for cases of theft. They also referenced DGCA regulations issued by the Government of India which cites a similar compensation formula, leading to the final offer of USD 30 (worth Rs 2560 in 2025) for the loss of items weighing 1.5 Consumer Commission ordered the airline to pay Rs 1.75 lakh with 8% interest starting from when the complaint was filed, plus Rs 15,000 for harassment and legal costs. The Haryana State Consumer Commission upheld this order and said the airline must pay. Additionally, the airline must also deposit Rs 95,000, which the Haryana State Consumer Commission ordered to be given to the passenger as a partial below to find out why this airline passenger won the case in consumer commissions and the legal arguments that led to this to the order of the Haryana State Consumer Commission dated May 20, 2025, this is the timeline of the case:The District Consumer Commission on November 11, 2020 said:'Keeping in view the above discussion, we hereby accept the present complaint and direct the opposite parties to pay a sum Rs.1,75,000 in lump sum to the complainant along with interest @ 8% from the date of lodging of the complaint with the OPs by the complainant till its realization. We also direct the opposite parties to further pay a sum of Rs.15,000 to the complainant as compensation for harassment including litigation expenses.'The State Consumer Commission in its order dated May 20, 2025, said:Judgement: 'Application(s) pending, if any stand disposed of in terms of the aforesaid judgment. The statutory amount of Rs 95,000 was deposited by the appellant (airline) at the time of filing of this appeal. This amount is now ordered to be reimbursed to the complainant -- Kumar against proper receipt, identification and verification as per rules and registry of this Commission is accordingly directed.'According to the order of the State Consumer Commission, here's what the airline's lawyers said:ET Wealth Online has asked various lawyers about the significance of this judgement for air travellers, here's what they said:By allowing the claim of the complainant and providing relief beyond the pecuniary loss suffered, the court has established the applicability of consumer law to foreign service providers operating in Indian territory. It acts as a precedent that airlines must show care when handling and transporting passengers' baggage, and that negligence in this regard would constitute a deficiency in service and so be punishable under consumer law. As it even accepted the Property Irregularity Report (PIR) and photographic evidence, it lends weight to their credibility in travel-related difficulties. The court even widened the ground of remedy from pecuniary loss to just compensation to consumers for mental anguish and inconvenience caused by deficiency of significance of this judgement is:a) Affirms consumer rights against powerful service providers: The ruling reiterates that even large international airlines can be held accountable in Indian consumer forums for deficiencies in service such as damage or theft during transit.b) While airlines often invoke international conventions like the Montreal Convention to limit their liability (e.g., compensating only $20/kg of lost baggage), the Commission recognized actual losses supported by evidence like the PIR, photos, and witness statements. It shows courts may depart from standard limits if consumer harassment and deficiency are clearly established.c) The acceptance of the PIR and photographs as valid evidence for establishing the damage and loss strengthens the position of consumers who may not always have purchase bills or full documentation.d) The airline was proceeded ex parte initially for non-appearance, and this contributed to the court favoring the complainant. This underlines that companies ignoring proceedings may risk adverse orders.e) Despite the incident occurring abroad, the consumer could successfully seek justice in a local Indian consumer court, an empowering message for Indian judgment marks a stern reiteration that foreign carriers operating within the territory of India cannot insulate themselves from liability by invoking the limitations of international conventions such as the Montreal Convention or the IATA guidelines, especially where tangible evidence of negligence and deficiency in service is awarding compensation substantially higher than the standardized compensation metrics of USD 20 per kilogram of lost baggage, the Commission has laid down a salutary precedent: that where the loss is duly documented, substantiated by a Property Irregularity Report (PIR), and corroborated by photographic evidence of damage and discrepancy in weight, the consumer is entitled to fair, just, and adequate restitution, not merely token redress. Of particular note is the Commission's observation that the absence of original purchase invoices cannot be used as a shield to deny rightful compensation, especially where the loss pertains to personal belongings inherently carried during international by granting a separate sum for harassment and litigation expenses, the Commission has highlighted the principle that emotional distress and mental agony, when occasioned by the indifference or failure of service providers, are actionable wrongs within the consumer jurisprudence Commission upheld the consumer's right to adequate compensation for mishandled luggage and loss of valuables during international air travel, beyond the minimal standards set by international conventions (like the Montreal Convention and IATA rules).China Eastern Airlines had argued that the complainant did not submit bills for the lost the commission emphasized the evidentiary value of the Property Irregularity Report (PIR), signed by both parties, and photographic evidence, making it clear that documentary purchase proof is not always essential if prima facie evidence of loss the airline relied on Montreal Convention rules (20 USD per kg) and DGCA norms, the Commission clarified that these do not override a consumer's right to seek full redress under Indian law if there's proven negligence or deficiency in ruling sends a strong message to airlines to, handle passenger baggage responsibly, set up efficient grievance redressal mechanisms, and acknowledge consumer rights beyond technical formalities or international caps.
