Delhi High Court : Airline Ticket Refund Dispute is Not a Commercial Dispute

The Delhi High Court has held that a dispute between a passenger and an airline over the refund of a flight ticket does not qualify as a 'commercial dispute' under the Commercial Courts Act, 2015.

The court ruled that a passenger purchasing a ticket is a consumer, and the transaction is not a commercial activity in the nature of trade or commerce between merchants.

Therefore, such consumer disputes cannot be transferred to a commercial court. The court, while setting aside a commercial court's order that had assumed jurisdiction over a refund claim, directed the matter to be heard by a consumer forum instead.

[Chand Mehra & Anr. British Airways PLC]