IndiGo flight disruptions: PIL demands higher compensation, probe into DGCA lapses

A public interest litigation has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking directions to the Centre and IndiGo airline to pay compensation amounting to four times the full ticket price to passengers whose flights were cancelled during November and December following the rollout of new Flight Duty Time Limitation norms.

The PIL is scheduled to be heard on Wednesday by a bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela and also seeks the appointment of a retired judge or the Lokpal to conduct an enquiry into the alleged negligence and lapses of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation that, according to the plea, led to the aviation crisis, as reported by PTI.

The petition further urged the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Department of Consumer Affairs to initiate a class action suit under the Consumer Protection Act against IndiGo for the hardship and damages suffered by passengers due to large-scale disruptions over the past two months.

Filed by the Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change through its president Professor Vikram Singh, the plea stated that the IndiGo crisis triggered widespread concern across the aviation sector and that thousands of last-minute flight cancellations left passengers stranded, causing severe inconvenience.

The petition, filed through advocates Virag Gupta, Shourya Tiwari and Rupali Panwar, stated that airports were overwhelmed with misdirected baggage, prolonged delays, inadequate communication from airlines and confusion regarding refunds and rebooking options.

It was contended that IndiGo operates approximately 410 aircraft with around 5,700 pilots, translating to roughly 14 pilots per aircraft, a staffing level described as insufficient under the revised rest and duty norms that require a higher pilot-to-aircraft ratio to sustain the same flight schedules.

The plea stated that once the new FDTL rules reduced pilot availability, the operational numbers no longer aligned, resulting in what it described as a national aviation crisis. It alleged that instead of taking remedial or penal action and ensuring appropriate compensation under existing laws, the authorities diverted the issue towards enquiries and discussions around the need for new legislation.