The Delhi High Court declined to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) that sought higher compensation for passengers impacted by the cancellation of IndiGo flights. The cancelled flights occurred between November and December after the rollout of new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela stated that the court had already acknowledged a similar issue in a pending PIL. They granted liberty to the petitioner to join that case.
“We do not see any reason as to why the concerns raised here cannot be taken up in the earlier petition. The jurisprudence developed by the Supreme Court and High Courts around PILs permits the court to expand the scope of a petition in public interest,” the Bench observed.
The court therefore declined to entertain this new petition, allowing the petitioner the option to seek intervention in the established case. As a result, the writ petition was disposed of.
The original plea came from the Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC), led by its president, Prof Vikram Singh. He argued that the abrupt cancellations sparked significant unrest within the aviation sector. The petition highlighted how last-minute cancellations inconvenienced countless passengers.
Advocate Virag Gupta, representing the petitioner, described the situation at airports as chaotic. He outlined issues including misplaced baggage, extensive delays, insufficient communication from IndiGo, and confusion regarding refund and rebooking options.
Additionally, the PIL called for an independent investigation led by a retired judge or the Lokpal. This inquiry would aim to determine possible negligence or lapses by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that may have contributed to this crisis.
On December 10, the Delhi High Court previously questioned the Central Government on its inaction during the flight cancellations. The court asked why the situation was allowed to worsen, leaving numerous passengers stranded while many airlines reportedly increased their fares in response to the crisis.
The court’s observations came during the consideration of another PIL, which sought directives for the Centre to provide assistance and refunds to passengers affected by the cancellations.
IndiGo has faced mounting criticism from both the government and affected passengers since December 2, for cancelling many flights due to regulatory changes regarding pilots’ flight duty times and rest periods under the revised FDTL framework. These actions have led to considerable dissatisfaction and raised questions about operational protocols in the airline industry.
