IndiGo crisis: Supreme Court declines plea, points to ongoing High Court proceedings

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a plea concerning the widespread disruption caused by delays and cancellations of IndiGo flights, noting that the issue is already under consideration before the Delhi High Court, reported Bar and Bench.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M Pancholi observed that parallel proceedings were not warranted as a constitutional court was already seized of the matter. The bench stated that the petitioner, advocate Narendra Mishra, was free to participate in the ongoing proceedings before the High Court and requested that he be allowed to intervene in the case.

The bench acknowledged the seriousness of the situation after Mishra submitted that ordinary passengers were facing severe difficulties due to the airline’s operational failures. However, it stated that judicial discipline required the Supreme Court to refrain from intervening while the matter was pending before another constitutional court. It informed the petitioner that if his grievances were not addressed by the High Court, he could approach the apex court at a later stage.

The court also noted that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation had already constituted an expert committee to examine the IndiGo situation.

IndiGo has been grappling with a shortage of pilots and shortcomings in implementing the new Flight Duty Time Limitation norms, which triggered the operational crisis. Following the disruptions, the DGCA granted the airline temporary exemptions to manage the situation and directed it to reduce its scheduled flights by 10 percent.

Last week, the Delhi High Court strongly criticised the Union government and the DGCA for failing to prevent the crisis and ordered IndiGo to compensate passengers who were stranded at airports for hours due to cancellations and delays. The High Court observed that the situation had not only inconvenienced passengers but also impacted the economy, as efficient passenger movement is essential for economic activity.

The High Court further directed that once the DGCA completes its inquiry into the airline’s conduct, the report must be submitted before it in a sealed cover.

Subsequent to the hearing, the DGCA removed four flight operation inspectors from their positions and deployed several of its officers at IndiGo’s headquarters in Gurugram to oversee operations and ensure the restoration of normal air services.

Senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Sandeep Sethi, along with advocates Divyam Agarwal, Amar Gupta, Aniket Agarwal, Priya Chauhan and Anirudh Vats from JSA, appeared on behalf of IndiGo.