Woman who sued Emirates for denying her water loses legal battle

Lina Di Falco fainted and fell in the cabin, hurting her ankle

A thirsty traveller onboard an Emirates flight has lost her legal battle with the airline (Getty Images)

A woman who claimed she collapsed on a long-haul Emirates flight after being denied water has lost her legal case against the airline.

Lina Di Falco was flying from Melbourne to Dubai in March 2015 when she fainted and fell on her way to the plane bathroom, hurting her ankle in the process.

The 54-year-old, who was flying off on holiday in the Middle East, claimed the denial of adequate water by Emirates caused her to pass out and sued the Dubai-based airline for damages, according to a report in the Australian Associated Press.

An hour after take-off from Melbourne, she was given a glass of water with her meal, but this wasn’t enough, Ms Di Falco claimed. She said she had asked cabin crew for water four more times before getting up to go to the bathroom as she felt dizzy.

After collapsing, Emirates cabin crew gave her a large bottle of water to keep.

When she got back to Australia, she was told her ankle was broken and needed surgery.

Ms Di Falco told the Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia that her injury caused her constant pain. As a result, she claimed, she had to take two months off work and her marriage broke down.

The legal team representing Emirates said that the plane had a water fountain for customers to use, the court heard.

Judge Jacinta Forbes found that the airline had no liability, and Ms Di Falco could face legal costs of hundreds of thousands of Australian dollars.

The Independent has asked Emirates for comment.