An Indian passenger has claimed a compensation of 50,000 Dirhams (Rs 5.5 lakhs) from budget airline Air India Express for canceling his ticket without informing him. Abdul Gafoor Kadavath claimed the compensation in lieu of 'the damages and harassment' he had to bear as the airline cancelled his Mangalore-Abu Dhabi ticket in March this year.

Kadavath claimed he booked six tickets from Mangalore to Abu Dhabi using a credit card and also received a confirmation of it on February 21.

But on March 24, he was told at the Mangalore Airport that his confirmed ticket had been cancelled on March 15 by the airline's Mumbai office, the Khaleej Times reported. The airline's office in Mumbai said they cancelled the ticket because they did not receive any money from the passenger.

However, Kadavath's bank records show he had transferred the money to the airline through his bank's credit card within the specified period, the report said.

Kadavath, who has been residing in the UAE for the past 25 years, alleged AIE had nine days to inform him regarding the cancellation of the tickets but they didn't do so.

"This is a 'breach of contract' made from your side," Kadavath's legal notice said. "After the ticket cancellation, our Mumbai office tried to inform him repeatedly and sent numerous messages to him but he did not reply," K Lakshmanan, Manager in the Abu Dhabi office of AIE said.