The Supreme Court on Monday declined an urgent hearing on a plea seeking judicial intervention over IndiGo’s mass flight cancellations, observing that the Union government had already taken steps to respond to a crisis that has stranded lakhs of passengers across the country.
“It is a serious matter. Lakhs of people are stranded at the airports,” Chief Justice Surya Kant said, heading a bench that included Justice Joymalya Bagchi. “We know that the Government of India has taken timely action and cognizance of the issue. We know people may have health issues and other important issues etc.”
The plea was mentioned by a lawyer who said that cancellations by IndiGo over the past several days had left passengers without information or support. “The cancellations are not informed to the flyers,” he told the bench, adding that around 2,500 flights were delayed and customers were suffering at 95 airports nationwide.
While the top court chose not to fast-track the matter, the Delhi High Court on Monday agreed to hear a similar petition seeking directions to the Centre to provide support and refunds for those affected. The case was listed before Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela.
The petitioner’s counsel told the bench that a PIL had been filed on the IndiGo crisis. “Several people are stuck. The ground situation at airports is inhumane. We are expecting the court to pass orders to IndiGo and ground support staff for people stranded at the airports. There is no proper system for refunds,” he said.
The bench said the PIL will be listed for hearing on Wednesday.
Over 250 IndiGo flights from Delhi and Bengaluru airports were cancelled on Monday as the disruptions of the airline's flight operations entered the seventh day, sources told PTI.
At the Delhi airport, 134 flights were cancelled -- 75 departures and 59 arrivals -- while at the Bengaluru airport, the carrier cancelled 117 services -- 65 arrivals and 62 departures.
IndiGo has been facing heat from both the government and the passengers for cancelling hundreds of flights since December 2, citing regulatory changes in the pilots' flight duty and regulations norms. The disruptions have left lakhs of passengers stranded at airports across the country.