The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a public interest litigation seeking judicial intervention over the cancellation of hundreds of IndiGo flights, observing that the issue is already under consideration before the Delhi High Court.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pamcholi noted that a similar PIL concerning the same grievances is pending before the Delhi High Court and advised the petitioner to pursue remedies there.
The plea was filed by Narendra Mishra, who urged the apex court to examine the large-scale flight cancellations by IndiGo, which have reportedly left lakhs of passengers stranded across the country. Mishra submitted that the matter warranted consideration at the highest level due to its widespread public impact.
The Bench, however, pointed out that the Delhi High Court is already seized of the issue. “It is a grave concern for the public, but the High Court is looking into it. It is also a constitutional court. If your grievances are not redressed, then you can come here,” Chief Justice Surya Kant said.
Granting liberty to the petitioner, the Court permitted him to approach the Delhi High Court and, if necessary, return to the Supreme Court at a later stage if the grievances remain unresolved.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for IndiGo, informed the Court that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has constituted an expert committee on December 5 to examine the flight cancellations and the difficulties faced by passengers.
Taking note of this submission, the Bench recorded that all issues raised in the PIL are already pending before the Delhi High Court. It requested the High Court to allow the petitioner to intervene in the ongoing proceedings and raise all his contentions there.
“If all grievances are not redressed, then nothing stops him or any other public spirited individual from approaching this court,” the Bench observed.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had declined to grant an urgent hearing in the matter, noting that the Centre has taken cognisance of the situation and initiated steps to address it.
Notably, the Delhi High Court, in an order dated December 10, had questioned the Centre over its failure to take timely action to contain the crisis arising from IndiGo’s flight cancellations. The High Court had sought an explanation as to why the situation was allowed to escalate, resulting in lakhs of passengers being stranded and other airlines charging exorbitant fares.
IndiGo has been facing criticism from both passengers and the government after cancelling hundreds of flights, citing regulatory changes relating to pilots’ flight duty time limitations and operational norms. The disruptions have severely impacted air travel across the country, triggering judicial scrutiny.
