ABU DHABI // A man returning from Haj who sued an airline company for Dh4 million after his flight was delayed by nine hours will receive Dh30,000, Abu Dhabi Civil Court of Appeal has ruled.
The man filed the lawsuit asking for compensation after his flight returning to the UAE left at midnight instead of its original time of 3pm. After landing at 4am and waiting an additional two and a half hours to collect his luggage, he told the court the delays led to added stress and fatigue and exacerbated his diabetes.
The airline denied responsibility, laying the onus on the company that organised the Haj trip to Mecca.
The case was initially rejected by the Court of First Instance due to insufficient evidence, leading the man to appeal. After requesting that Saudi airport officials be contacted to give details about the flight in question, the Court of Appeal appointed an expert who, after conducting an investigation, confirmed the man’s claim and estimated the compensation should stand at Dh40,000.
The decision issued by the Court of First Instance was overruled, and the airline was ordered to pay Dh30,000 for material and moral damages suffered.
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