The Delhi High Court on Wednesday criticised the Centre over the chaos faced by air travellers amid widespread disruptions at IndiGo. The HC demanded to know why flight fares had surged to Rs 35,000-Rs 39,000 and what immediate steps were taken to help stranded passengers. “Why did such a situation even precipitate? What steps were taken to assist passengers?” the bench asked.
According to Live Law, Justice Tushar Rao Gedela questioned how other airlines were allowed to “take advantage” of the crisis. “How can it go to 35-39k? How could other airlines start charging? How can it happen?” he said.
The additional solicitor general informed the court that the government had already issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo, to which the airline responded with a “profuse apology”. He added that implementation of the revised Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) rules had been delayed since early 2024 due to IndiGo repeatedly seeking extensions and offering assurances before the single-judge bench.
The court asked the Centre to detail what arrangements were made to manage stranded passengers and prevent harassment at airports. “If they failed, what action did you take? You allowed the situation to reach this point,” the bench said.
Earlier, the Supreme Court termed the situation “a serious matter”. IndiGo has cancelled hundreds of flights since December 2 which has severely affected operations at major airports.
Although the airline has cited multiple operational factors, aviation officials say the disruptions are primarily linked to recent regulatory changes in pilots’ flight duty and rest norms. The crisis has triggered widespread passenger complaints and criticism from the central government.
SC declined urgent hearing
Despite noting the scale of the problem, the Supreme Court declined an urgent hearing on a plea seeking judicial intervention and relief for stranded passengers. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said that “lakhs of people are stranded at airports”, but added that the Centre had already taken steps to manage the situation.
The Delhi High Court, meanwhile, listed for today (December 10) a petition seeking directions to the Centre to ensure support and refunds for affected passengers. The matter was taken up by a bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, PTI reported.
Govt working closely with IndiGo
Ahead of the hearing, civil aviation secretary Samir Kumar Sinha said the government had been working closely with IndiGo to resolve passenger grievances. He stated that 100% refunds for cancelled PNRs had been processed. “We took due notice of the issue, issued an order, and coordinated with IndiGo. All refunds have already been completed,” he told ANI.
Sinha also said that baggage stranded due to the disruption was being cleared. According to him, 90% of the luggage had arrived and was being delivered to passengers’ addresses.
Aviation ministry announce cuts to IndiGo schedule
Amid continuing disruptions, the civil aviation ministry has directed IndiGo to reduce its winter and summer schedules by 10%. Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the airline had not demonstrated the capacity to operate its full schedule and that the temporary cut was necessary to stabilise operations and limit further cancellations.
IndiGo has been asked to submit a revised schedule by 5 pm on December 10.