The Delhi High Court has issued a summons to Vistara Airlines in response to a plea filed by the parents of a minor girl, who are seeking damages of nearly Rs. 2.7 crore.

Alleging that their daughter suffered second-degree burns due to a hot beverage spill by airline staff, the parents have filed a plea against Vistara Airlines. The Delhi High Court has subsequently summoned the airline, responding to their claim for damages amounting to nearly Rs. 2.7 crore.

The incident in question occurred during a Vistara flight from Delhi to Frankfurt.

On January 9, 2024, Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani's bench presided over the case and directed Vistara to submit its response to the lawsuit within a month.

Furthermore, the court instructed Vistara to respond to the interim relief application within a two-week timeframe and set the subsequent hearing for March 6, 2024.

According to the lawsuit, the parents of the girl assert that their daughter suffered "serious second-degree burns on her thighs and surrounding areas" due to the negligence of an air hostess.

The incident supposedly took place on August 11, 2023, when the air hostess, in a rush, accidentally spilled the hot chocolate ordered by the child along with another excessively hot beverage.

The parents are pursuing compensation for bodily injuries as well as the medical expenses accrued in Frankfurt, Germany, along with other consequential reliefs. They contend that Vistara, rather than acknowledging responsibility for the incident, released a statement on social media confirming the occurrence but inaccurately attributing blame to the child's "playful behavior."

The parents contested Vistara's assertion that the incident resulted from the child's behavior, asserting that it led to significant medical injuries and profound mental distress for the family. They have accused Vistara of neglecting to offer an explanation for the crew's negligence, lack of care, and professional misconduct, thereby violating DGCA norms related to the temperature at which liquids are served on board a flight.

Additionally, the parents argued that Vistara failed to make any effort to reach out or provide assistance to the family following the incident. The airline reportedly contacted the family over 30 hours after the child and her mother had disembarked from the flight, and only after the incident gained attention on social media.

The parents further asserted that they were left to navigate the medical system, arrange accommodation, and make necessary preparations for their child's medical treatment in a foreign country without any assistance from Vistara.