Supreme Court Flags Serious Concerns Over IndiGo Flight Cancellation Crisis
The Supreme Court on Monday raised serious concern over the ongoing chaos caused by the large number of cancelled and delayed IndiGo flights. The Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said that thousands of passengers were stuck at airports across the country, and many of them could be facing health issues due to long waiting hours. The Court, however, noted that the Central government has already taken steps to address the situation.
The remarks came after a request was made to urgently list a petition related to the crisis. The lawyer who mentioned the matter said IndiGo had several vacant positions, which was affecting operations, and passengers were not being properly informed.
The Supreme Court did not immediately agree to list the plea on priority, and it is expected to be listed in the normal course.
Meanwhile, a similar petition has also been filed before the Delhi High Court. This plea seeks directions to ensure refunds for passengers affected by the widespread cancellations.
During the hearing, a lawyer told the Delhi High Court that the ground situation at airports was “inhumane” and that thousands of passengers were stranded without proper assistance or timely refunds. The Bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela observed that the government had already issued certain instructions but agreed to hear the matter on Wednesday.
IndiGo has been facing massive disruption due to an acute shortage of pilots and difficulties in implementing the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms. To manage the crisis, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted IndiGo temporary exemption from the new duty-time rules. Despite this, flight cancellations continue daily at major airports.
