Legal Heat: IndiGo Cancellation Crisis Reaches Supreme Court And Delhi High Court

The widespread IndiGo flight cancellation crisis continues to escalate, now echoing in the highest judicial corridors, with both the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court addressing the travel chaos that has gripped the country. The Supreme Court termed the situation “a serious matter,” while the Delhi High Court agreed to hear a petition against the carrier on Tuesday, December 10.

Judicial and Governmental Response

The operational crisis, which has seen IndiGo cancel hundreds of flights since December 2, is largely attributed by aviation insiders to recent regulatory changes in pilots’ Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) regulations.

Delhi High Court Intervention

• Hearing Scheduled: The Delhi High Court has listed a petition seeking directions to the Centre to provide support and immediate refunds to affected passengers for hearing on December 10. The matter was taken up by a bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela.

Supreme Court View

• Observation but No Intervention: While Chief Justice of India Surya Kant acknowledged that lakhs of people are stranded at airports, the apex court refused to grant an urgent hearing to a plea seeking judicial intervention. The court stated that the Centre had already taken steps to address the matter.

Government Action and Claims

Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha provided updates on the government’s intervention efforts, focusing on passenger relief:

• 100% Refunds Claimed: Sinha stated that the government actively coordinated with the airline and claimed that “all 100% refunds” for PNR cancellations have already been completed.
• Baggage Delivery: He addressed the issue of misplaced luggage, stating, “We just saw that 90 per cent of the baggage has already arrived.” He expressed confidence that the remaining luggage would be at the passengers’ given addresses “within the next 24 hours or so.”

Ministry Orders 10% Reduction in Operations

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced a crucial directive aimed at stabilizing the airline’s chaotic operations:

• Curtailment Order: Noting that IndiGo has not demonstrated an ability to operate its winter and summer schedules efficiently, the Civil Aviation Ministry has directed the airline to reduce its operations by 10% across sectors.
• Stabilization Goal: Minister Naidu explained that curtailing IndiGo’s overall routes was considered necessary to stabilize the airline’s operations and lead to reduced cancellations. The airline has been instructed to submit a revised schedule by 5 PM on December 10.

Scale of the Crisis

The operational meltdown has severely impacted travel across India. IndiGo reportedly cancelled more than 400 flights on Tuesday alone, contributing to a total of nearly 5,000 flights canceled since the beginning of the mass disruptions.