HC upholds Delhi airport order on IndiGo, SpiceJet to shift operations from T-1 to T-2
The Delhi high court, however, has directed IndiGo and SpiceJet to approach Delhi airport within one week regarding shifting from T-1 to T-2
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New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Tuesday said IndiGo and SpiceJet must shift a third of their flights at Delhi’s T-1 terminal to T-2, as directed by Delhi International Airport Pvt. Ltd’s (DIAL).
A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Rekha Palli upheld a 20 December single judge order to this effect, rejecting an appeal by the two airlines. The airlines had complained that such a move would disrupt its operations.
The bench, however, gave one last opportunity to the two airlines to suggest any other sector that they were willing to re-locate, in place of the three prime sectors of Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru shortlisted by DIAL.
“We grant a last opportunity of one week to IndiGo and SpiceJet to approach DIAL to suggest other sectors that they would be ready and willing to shift from T-1 to T-2, as long as they collectively meet the yardstick of one-third passenger traffic volumes of their operations at T-1. In the event such a request is received by DIAL within the stipulated timeline, the same shall be considered and a decision taken under written intimation to both the airlines within one week from the date of receipt", the judgment reads.
In case no such proposal is made, DIAL shall fix a deadline for shifting one-third of the flight operations of these airlines from T-1 to T-2, under written intimation to them.
IndiGo and SpiceJet had argued that the single judge erred in taking into consideration a projection of traffic at T-1 for the year 2016-17 and interest of the public.
DIAL had, through a series of communications in September and October last year, directed IndiGo to operate its flights, to and from Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru from 4 January, 2018 from Terminal-2. DIAL had issued the direction as a ‘temporary measure’ to renovate and expand the capacity at T-1.
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