British Airways planes in a queue. (AFP)

A consumer court has asked British Airways (BA) to pay about Rs 3 lakh to five passengers for harassing them at Heathrow airport.

The complaint at State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission was filed by Animesh Chakraborty, a Kasba resident, and four relatives. They had bought return tickets on British Airways between Delhi and London and on Air Sahara between Calcutta and Delhi.

After completing their UK tour, the group reached Heathrow airport on July 19, 2003, to catch flight BA 143. They were issued boarding passes and subjected to security checks, after which an airline official informed them that the flight had been cancelled. “No reason was cited,” they said.

Left with little cash, Chakraborty and his relatives requested the airline to arrange for their stay and food in London. The airline allegedly did not pay any heed to the plea and, instead, threatened to throw them out of the airport if they did not leave on their own. The group could not trace its luggage, which was returned after several weeks. Six-and-a-half-year-old Anwesha Lahiri, one of the complainants, fell ill, but was reportedly left untreated at the airport.

The complainants then called some of their friends in the UK, who arranged for their accommodation. Thanks to the cancellation of the BA flight, the Air Sahara tickets were wasted, resulting in a loss of Rs 21,000 for the group.

The complainants went to the airport the next day, but the airline could not provide them seats on the Delhi-bound flight. They finally contacted a travel agent, who booked tickets on Royal Jordanian Airlines for July 21.

Chakraborty and his group told the commission they had incurred a loss of Rs 2.17 lakh because of the cancellation. In response to their plea, the consumer court on June 27, 2007, asked BA to pay a compensation of around Rs 3 lakh.

The airline denied there was any “deficiency” on its part and said it had paid the group Rs 1.46 lakh as “a good gesture”. The airline can move the national consumer court against the order. If the court upholds the order, it can move the Supreme Court.