Lakhs of passengers hit by IndiGo’s massive flight disruptions got some judicial attention on Monday, with the Delhi High Court agreeing to hear a plea this week, while the Supreme Court acknowledged the crisis as a “serious matter” but declined to intervene urgently after being informed that the Centre had taken steps to address the situation.
The crisis, now into its seventh day, stems from mass cancellations sparked by regulatory changes in pilots’ flight duty and rest norms, according to the airline. IndiGo cancelled around 500 flights and planned to operate 1,802 on Monday, the civil aviation ministry said.
The disruptions have created scenes of overcrowded terminals, stranded passengers, and significant delays across 95 airports. Over 250 IndiGo services were cancelled from Delhi and Bengaluru airports alone on Monday, with 134 flights scrubbed from Delhi and 117 from Bengaluru, sources said.
A plea seeking urgent judicial intervention was mentioned before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, who observed the gravity of the situation but declined an early hearing.
“It is a serious matter. Lakhs of people are stranded at the airports,” the CJI said, while noting that the Centre had taken “timely action and cognisance of the issue.”
“We know people may have health issues and other important issues,” he added.
The court refused to fast-track the hearing, indicating it would not intervene while the Union government’s measures were underway.
Meanwhile, a separate petition filed in the Delhi High Court sought directions to ensure refunds, better support, and systems to assist stranded flyers.
Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela listed the matter for December 10.
The petitioner’s counsel described the situation as “inhumane”, citing inadequate ground support, poor communication, and lack of a streamlined refund process.
“Several people are stuck. The ground situation at airports is inhumane. We are expecting orders to IndiGo and ground support staff,” the lawyer said, adding that cancellations were not being timely communicated to passengers.
The high court acknowledged that certain directions had already been issued by the government but went ahead and listed the PIL for hearing.
The aviation ministry said the airline had delivered 4,500 out of roughly 9,000 bags misplaced or pending delivery, and committed to deliver the remainder within 36 hours.
IndiGo has been facing intense criticism from passengers and pressure from the Centre after cancellations snowballed since December 2. The airline attributed the disruptions to revised regulations affecting pilot duty and rest periods.
With holiday travel season underway and no immediate clarity on the return to normal operations, the crisis has left travellers scrambling for alternatives and families separated across cities.
The matter will now play out on twin judicial tracks — a PIL in the Delhi High Court and a plea before the Supreme Court — even as the Centre monitors the airline’s response and passenger concerns continue to escalate.
