The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sharply questioned the Union government and aviation authorities regarding the recent widespread IndiGo flight disruptions, which the court referred to as a “crisis” that left thousands of passengers stranded and caused ticket prices to soar.
A bench led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela stated that the situation not only caused “trouble and harassment” to passengers but also negatively impacted the country’s economy. The court heard the matter for over 90 minutes and ordered the Centre to submit the report of the ongoing committee inquiry in a sealed cover by January 22.
Court Slams Fare Hikes and Regulatory Failure
The court specifically pulled up the airline industry for exorbitant fare increases by carriers taking advantage of the chaos:
“The ticket which was available for ₹5,000, the prices went up to ₹30,000 to ₹35,000. If there was a crisis, how could other airlines be permitted to take advantage? How can it (ticket price) go up to ₹35,000 and ₹39,000? How could other airlines start charging?”
While acknowledging that the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the DGCA had taken corrective steps, the court fundamentally questioned the failure of regulation that allowed the crisis to escalate: “What bothers us is how such a situation was allowed to precipitate, leading to stranding of lakhs of passengers at airports across the country.”
Government and DGCA Response
The government’s counsel informed the court that the chaos stemmed from multiple violations of guidelines, particularly those related to crew flight-duty hours.
They also claimed that authorities:
- “Controlled and capped” the fare surge, stating this was an unprecedented action.
- Confirmed that IndiGo had been issued a show-cause notice and had “apologised profusely.”
The court instructed authorities to quickly normalize operations and ensure all airlines maintain adequate pilot strength going forward.