Child on Vistara flight suffers burns after hot chocolate spilled on her. Airline's response

A full-service carrier, Vistara is a joint venture between Tatas and Singapore Airlines.

Vistara on Wednesday said a child onboard a flight from the national capital to Frankfurt last week sustained injuries due to spillage of a hot beverage and that all medical expenses due to the incident will be reimbursed by the airline. The incident happened on flight UK25 on August 11.

The girl child, around 10 years old, was travelling with her parents, according to a person in the know. In a detailed statement, the airline also said it is reviewing and refining processes, wherever required, to avoid such situations in the future. An unfortunate incident occurred where a child sustained injuries due to spillage of hot beverage on the body, an airline spokesperson said.

"Our cabin crew had served hot chocolate to the child at the request of her parents, however, the hot water spilt on her since the child was playful during the service. In line with the SOPs, our crew immediately provided first-aid as warranted for the spill, and sought support from a paramedic onboard, who volunteered to assist until the flight landed in Frankfurt,” the spokesperson said in the statement.

According to the airline, it ensured medical care immediately upon landing by arranging an ambulance and the child, along with her mother, was sent to the hospital. A post on social media platform X on August 13 claimed the airline’s air hostess caused a "2nd-degree burn to 10-year-old on the flight to Frankfurt". The post by one Rachna Gupta also said an unfortunate accident was poorly handled and that the Vistara hostess did not apologise. In the statement, Vistara also said its teams have been in touch with the customer ever since.

"We have already facilitated their early return to India, arranged for ground transportation in Frankfurt, met them at the airport and extended extensive on-ground support. We have conveyed to the customer that all medical expenses arising from this incident will be reimbursed by us. We continue to discuss with the customer and provide any further assistance as required. We are also reviewing and refining our processes, wherever required, to ensure such situations are avoided in the future. As always, safety and comfort of our customers is of utmost importance to us," the spokesperson said. A full-service carrier, Vistara is a joint venture between Tatas and Singapore Airlines.