The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sharply questioned the Central government over the circumstances that triggered mass cancellation of IndiGo flights, describing the situation as a “crisis” and asking why it was allowed to escalate to such a level.
A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela observed that the fallout went beyond inconvenience to stranded flyers. The court noted that apart from the “trouble and harassment caused to the stranded passengers,” the cancellations also caused losses to the economy.
The bench also raised concerns about market conduct during the disruption, questioning how other carriers were able to “take advantage of the crisis situation” by charging significantly higher fares from passengers left without options.
During the hearing, counsel appearing for the Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) informed the court that regulatory frameworks were already in place, and that the authorities had issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo. The airline, the counsel said, had “apologised profusely.”
The government’s counsel attributed the problem to “various non-compliances” of guidelines issued by authorities, including those relating to crew flight duty hours.
The court was hearing a public interest litigation seeking directions to the Centre to provide support and refunds to passengers affected by the cancellation of hundreds of IndiGo flights. The matter continues to be examined.
