The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking judicial intervention into the cancellation of hundreds of flights by IndiGo and asked the petitioner to approach the Delhi High Court, which is already hearing a similar matter.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pamcholi observed that the Delhi High Court was seized of a PIL concerning the crisis triggered by mass flight cancellations and related passenger grievances.
The Bench was hearing a plea filed by Narendra Mishra, who urged the apex court to take up the matter, citing widespread hardship caused to passengers. However, the court noted that judicial propriety required the issue to be addressed first by the High Court.
High Court Already Examining the Issue
Referring to proceedings before the Delhi High Court, the Bench noted that on December 10, the High Court had questioned the Centre for not taking timely steps to prevent the crisis and asked why the situation was allowed to escalate, leaving lakhs of passengers stranded while other airlines charged exorbitant fares.
The High Court is hearing a PIL seeking directions to the Union government to ensure refunds and provide support to passengers affected by IndiGo’s large-scale flight cancellations.
Liberty Granted to Re-Approach Supreme Court
The Supreme Court permitted Mishra to join the proceedings before the Delhi High Court and raise all his concerns there.
“If all grievances are not redressed, then nothing stops him or any other public-spirited individual from approaching this Court,” the Bench observed.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for IndiGo, informed the court that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had constituted an expert committee on December 5 to examine the flight cancellations and the difficulties faced by passengers.
Taking note of this submission, the Bench observed that all issues raised in the PIL were already under consideration before the Delhi High Court.
Passengers Facing Severe Hardship
During the hearing, Mishra highlighted the severe distress faced by passengers due to repeated cancellations. Responding to this, the Chief Justice remarked that the concern was genuine but reiterated that the High Court, being a constitutional court, was already addressing the issue.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had refused to grant urgent hearing to the plea, noting that the Centre had taken cognisance of the matter and initiated steps to resolve it.
IndiGo has been facing criticism from both the government and passengers after cancelling hundreds of flights, citing regulatory changes in pilots’ flight duty time limitations and safety norms. The disruptions have left lakhs of travellers stranded at airports across the country.
