IndiGo fiasco reaches Supreme Court, CJI Surya Kant calls flight cancellation crisis 'serious matter'

Concerns over IndiGo's ongoing mass cancellation issue was raised in the Supreme Court on Monday, December 8. Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant called it a "serious matter" and acknowledged that the government of India has taken timely action and cognisance of the issue.

The bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted that people are stranded at airports and many of them may have health issues, Bar and Bench reported on Monday.

"It is a serious matter. Lakhs of people are stranded at the airports. We know that…We know people may have health issues etc," CJI Kant was quoted by Bar and Bench as saying.

The Supreme Court made the remarks after a mentioning was made for listing of petition on the issue. A counsel reportedly said that there are a lot of vacancies in IndiGo, and passengers are suffering due to the ongoing situation.

"Customers are not informed," the counsel said.

Plea in Delhi HC

A similar petition was moved before the Delhi High Court on Monday, seeking ground support and refund to passengers affected by the IndiGo flight crisis.

According to Live Law, the matter was mentioned by a lawyer before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela.

"We have filed a PIL in IndiGo issue. Several people are stuck. Ground situation at airports is inhumane. We are expecting the court to pass orders to IndiGo and ground support for people stranded at the airport. There is no proper refund," a counsel submitted before the High Court on Monday.

Will SC and Delhi HC hear IndiGo matter?

As per Bar and Bench, the Supreme Court did not immediately order the listing of the case. The plea is likely to be listed in routine. The court observed that the Government of India has already taken cognisance of the issue.

"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," CJI Surya Kant was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court agreed to list the matter on Wednesday, even though it remarked that the Government has already passed some directions on the issue.

"It will be listed on Wednesday,” the Bench said.

IndiGo crisis

Indigo has been severely hit due to the shortage of pilots and its failure to implement the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL).

The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted an exemption to IndiGo to tackle the ongoing crisis.

However, daily flight cancellations continue at major airports across India for the seventh day. Extensive cancellations and delays have been reported since December 3, severely affecting flight schedules and stranding travellers.

According to ANI, Ahmedabad Airport reported 18 IndiGo cancellations by 8 AM on Monday, nine arrivals and nine departures, though authorities maintained that terminal operations remained stable.

Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport witnessed one of the highest impacts, with 127 IndiGo flights cancelled, including 65 arrivals and 62 departures.

Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport saw 77 cancellations, while Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) recorded the highest single-day impact so far with 134 IndiGo flights cancelled, comprising 75 departures and 59 arrivals.

Passengers at other major airports, including Chennai International Airport, Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), Gujarat's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, and Assam's Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, also faced long waits inside terminal buildings as flight updates remained uncertain.

(With inputs from agencies)