Supreme Court declines to urgently list petitions related to IndiGo flights disruption: Report

The Supreme Court declined to urgently list petitions related to recent disruptions in IndiGo’s flight operations, following large-scale delays and cancellations that left many passengers stranded across India. The bench noted that the government had already responded to the crisis, and that immediate judicial action was unnecessary at this stage.

IndiGo, operated by Interglobe Aviation, faced unprecedented flight cancellations last week due to crew shortages linked to newly enforced flight duty time limitation rules. The situation resulted in significant inconvenience for passengers, prompting regulatory authorities to intervene. The Ministry of Civil Aviation directed IndiGo and all airlines to process pending passenger refunds without delay and mandated that the refund process be completed by Sunday. It further stipulated that no rescheduling charges are to be levied on affected passengers, with any delay in refunds to attract immediate action from regulators.

According to a report in Informist, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant deemed the situation a “serious matter” and acknowledged the scale of the disruption. He stated, “We understand that lakhs of people are stranded at the airport. People having urgent work, people in need of urgent health issues. But the Government of India has taken cognisance. Timely action appears to have been taken. Let us see what happens after some time. There is no urgency right now.” 

Another Supreme Court bench refused to urgently list a case regarding the surge in airline ticket prices, maintaining that the matter would be considered in due course.

The DGCA, after reviewing ongoing operational challenges and discussions with airline operators, withdrew an earlier order that had allowed airlines to substitute crew members’ leaves for their weekly rest as per flight duty time rules. The regulator issued immediate instructions in response to the mounting disruptions, aiming to restore normalcy in airline operations and safeguard crew welfare.

Additionally, the Ministry of Civil Aviation capped airfares and directed all carriers to adhere to prescribed fare bands. This measure was implemented following a sharp increase in ticket prices in the wake of widespread flight cancellations. 

On Saturday, recognising the continuing passenger inconvenience, the DGCA issued show-cause notices to IndiGo’s Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers and Chief Operating Officer Isidre Porqueras. The regulator granted a 24-hour extension for both executives to submit their formal responses.

While the Supreme Court declined urgent intervention, the Delhi High Court scheduled a hearing for Wednesday to consider a public interest litigation seeking further government and airline support for affected passengers. The petitioner told the court, “We are expecting the court to pass orders to IndiGo and ground support for people stranded at the airport. There is no proper refund.”

(With agency inputs)