Former Tamil Nadu MLA and advocate Nizamudeen was denied boarding on a Gulf Air (GF) flight from Moscow Airport (SVO) to Bahrain due to his passport carrying only one name. The incident raised questions about airline responsibility versus immigration policy enforcement.
The passenger, traveling onward to Dubai (DXB) for a business meeting on February 10, 2023, held a valid UAE visa but was prevented from boarding despite clearing check-in. Gulf Air cited UAE entry rules requiring both a first and last name in passports.
Gulf Air Denied Boarding
Gulf Air argued before the Chennai North District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission that it followed a November 2022 UAE immigration directive. The circular required all travelers entering the UAE to have at least two words in their passport names.
The airline maintained that passengers with single-word names would be deemed inadmissible on arrival and therefore could not be accepted for boarding.
A co-passenger on the same booking, who had both a first and last name, was allowed to board without issue. Gulf Air emphasized that the denial was not arbitrary but aligned with immigration compliance standards at the time.
Passenger’s Complaint and Legal Outcome
Nizamudeen, who later managed to travel via Air Arabia (G9) using the same single-name passport, filed a complaint alleging negligence and deficiency in service. His legal representatives argued that the airline had ample time—from ticket booking on January 21 to the scheduled flight on February 9—to review the name and alert him to potential restrictions.
The commission found Gulf Air solely responsible for failing to update its internal procedures, particularly since Air India (AI) and other carriers had already revised their policies in late 2022 to accommodate such cases.
On October 22, the commission ordered Gulf Air to compensate the passenger ₹1 lakh for mental agony and ₹10,000 for litigation costs, and to refund the ticket amount of ₹29,689 within two months.
Akbar Travels, which booked the ticket through another intermediary, stated it had no role in the boarding or clearance process. The commission accepted that position, confirming the airline alone bore responsibility for passenger acceptance decisions.
Policy Implications
This case highlights the need for airlines to promptly align their operational practices with updated immigration advisories. While Gulf Air’s defense rested on compliance, the ruling underscored that regulatory misinterpretation cannot justify passenger inconvenience.
The decision also reinforces the obligation of carriers to proactively verify documentation requirements before travel.
Similar Incident
India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), fined Akasa Air (QP) ₹10 lakh for violating passenger boarding rules.
The penalty follows an incident at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR), where seven passengers were denied boarding on flight QP1437 to Pune (PNQ) on September 6, 2024.
The DGCA investigation found Akasa Air (QP) in breach of Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) Section 3, Series M, Part IV, which mandates airlines to compensate passengers denied boarding due to operational reasons.
The issue began when Akasa’s original aircraft suffered foreign object damage, prompting a last-minute aircraft substitution. The replacement aircraft had nine non-operational seats, reducing capacity and preventing seven confirmed passengers from boarding their scheduled 8:50 PM flight.
The airline rebooked these travelers on the IndiGo (6E) flight 6E116, which departed for Pune at 10:40 PM, delaying their arrival by more than an hour. However, Akasa Air failed to provide the mandatory financial compensation prescribed under CAR norms for denied boarding.
DGCA’s order stated that the airline “failed to uphold passenger rights” by not offering the required compensation despite arranging alternative travel. As a result, the regulator imposed a ₹10 lakh penalty for non-compliance.
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