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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking judicial intervention into the crisis triggered by the cancellation of hundreds of IndiGo flights, noting that the Delhi High Court was already hearing the matter.
A three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said parallel proceedings should be avoided and granted liberty to the petitioner, Narendra Mishra, to intervene in the case pending before the High Court.
“We appreciate the issue, but instead of parallel proceedings, you go to the Delhi High Court,” the Bench said. “It is also a constitutional court. If your grievances are not redressed, you can always come back here,” the CJI added.
Plea Sought Refunds, Court-Monitored Probe
Mishra had sought directions from the Centre to ensure refunds and support for passengers affected by large-scale flight cancellations, and had demanded a court-monitored inquiry into the crisis.
At the outset, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing before the court, informed the Bench that the matter was already under consideration in the Delhi High Court and that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had constituted a committee to examine the disruptions.
The CJI remarked that once the High Court was seized of the matter, entertaining a PIL in the Supreme Court would stall proceedings there. “If you think the High Court is not up to your standard and you want to appear only here, that is a different matter,” the Bench told the petitioner.
SC Had Earlier Called the Situation ‘Serious’
The apex court recalled that on December 8, it had termed the chaos caused by widespread flight cancellations a “serious matter”, but had refrained from immediate intervention as the government had already taken cognisance of the issue.
Mishra told the court that around 300 flights were being cancelled daily, causing immense hardship to passengers. The Bench, however, reiterated that the High Court was fully competent to deal with the issue.
Delhi HC’s Sharp Questions to Govt, IndiGo
Earlier, on December 10, the Delhi High Court had sharply questioned the Centre over its handling of the crisis, asking why the situation was allowed to spiral and leave lakhs of passengers stranded.
“The question is why, at all, this crisis arose and what have you been doing?” a Bench led by Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya had asked, directing the government and IndiGo to take steps to compensate affected passengers adequately. The High Court also questioned whether authorities were “helpless” or could have acted against IndiGo for failing to implement the Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) Rules, including mandatory pilot rest norms, by November 1.
Concerns Over Price Surge, Economic Impact
The High Court expressed concern over the economic impact of the disruptions and criticised the surge in airfares by other airlines during the crisis. “A ticket priced at Rs 5,000 went up to Rs 30,000–35,000. How could other airlines be allowed to take advantage of the crisis?” the court asked, calling it “like a pound of flesh.”
The HC directed authorities to ensure normalisation of flight operations and adequate staffing of pilots to comply with FDTL norms. The matter has been posted for further hearing on January 22, with the court seeking the inquiry committee’s report, if completed, in a sealed cover.
