The Delhi High Court on Wednesday declined to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) that sought directions from the Centre and IndiGo airline for higher compensation to passengers affected by recent flight cancellations. The court refused the request for four times the full ticket price as compensation after a series of disruptions caused by regulatory changes in November and December.
A Division Bench, led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, observed that the court already acknowledged this concern in another pending PIL. The bench stated, “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 allows the court to broaden the scope of an existing petition in public interest,” the Bench emphasized while dismissing the current petition. The court offered the petitioner the liberty to seek intervention in the earlier matter.
The PIL was filed by the Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC), led by its president, Prof Vikram Singh. He argued that IndiGo’s flight cancellations have ignited widespread concern in the aviation sector. The petition highlighted that sudden disruptions and last-minute cancellations of thousands of flights severely inconvenienced passengers.
Advocate Virag Gupta, representing the petitioner, reported chaotic scenes at airports, with misdirected baggage and prolonged delays. He noted that passengers faced inadequate communication from IndiGo about refund and rebooking options, further exacerbating their distress.
The PIL also demanded an independent inquiry led by a retired judge or the Lokpal to investigate alleged negligence and lapses by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) during this crisis.
On December 10, in a related matter, the Delhi High Court had already expressed concern over the Central Government’s failure to swiftly address the crisis stemming from IndiGo’s mass cancellations. The court questioned why the situation was permitted to escalate, leaving many passengers stranded while other airlines reportedly charged inflated fares.
The focus on IndiGo intensified after the airline cancelled numerous flights starting December 2, citing regulatory changes regarding pilots’ flight duty time and rest norms under the revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) framework. This spate of cancellations raised alarms and criticisms from both the government and troubled passengers.
