Air India must reveal identity of free ticket holders: court

New Delhi: Air India is not exempted under the RTI Act from disclosing the identity of persons to whom complimentary tickets are issued, the Delhi High Court held today.

Upholding a single judge’s 28 November 2011 order, a bench of Acting Chief Justice AK Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw dismissed an appeal filed by Air India and directed the national carrier to reveal the names and addresses of the people to whom complementary air tickets were issued in 2006.[caption id=“attachment_402545” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Air India complimentary tickets won’t be secrets any more. Reuters [/caption]

The bench concurred with the single judge and rejected the Air India’s argument that disclosure of the identity of these peoples would harm the commercial interest of the airline.

“Naturally, the exemption cannot be allowed merely on the ground thereof being raised. It is for the public authority claiming exemption to lay foundation, of the information falling in one of the exempted categories.

“We are afraid, AI has not laid any such foundation. Even in the list handed over to us, there is nothing to show that there is any confidentiality attached thereto. In fact, recognising some of the names in the list we ourselves are curious to know the reasons for the appellant to have bestowed

largesse of complimentary tickets on them. Even otherwise we find the plea raised by AI…to be a bogey,” the bench said.

The airline had argued before the court that complimentary tickets were given for commercial interest and to encourage and promote travel on AI flights and to help its image building.

PTI