IndiGo Crisis Affected Lakhs, Hit Economy: Delhi HC Comes Down Hard on Flight Cancellations
Hearing a PIL on the IndiGo crisis, the Delhi High Court questions fare surge by rival airlines, says disruption caused mass passenger hardship and economic loss
New Delhi, Dec 11: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday took a stern view of the recent IndiGo flight cancellations, observing that the crisis caused severe hardship to lakhs of passengers and resulted in significant economic losses.
Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an independent judicial probe into the disruptions, a division bench led by Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya said the situation was allowed to “precipitate,” leaving thousands of travellers stranded across airports.
The court noted that efficient passenger movement is a critical component of economic activity and said large-scale flight disruptions directly impact the functioning of the economy.
Raising concerns over fare manipulation, the bench questioned how other airlines were allowed to capitalise on the crisis by sharply increasing ticket prices.
“If there was a crisis, how could other airlines be permitted to take advantage of the situation? How did fares rise to ₹35,000–₹39,000?” the court asked, as cited by LiveLaw.
The bench sought responses from the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) representing the Centre and counsel for the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on whether adequate regulatory oversight was exercised during the crisis.
The ASG informed the court that a statutory mechanism was already in place and that the DGCA had issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo. He added that the airline had apologised for the disruptions.
The government also clarified that the Aviation Ministry had no direct role in the crisis, stating that IndiGo is a privately operated airline. The ASG described the situation as a “creation of the airline’s own making.”
Meanwhile, despite IndiGo’s claim that operations had fully normalised, reports of continued cancellations at some airports emerged on Wednesday.
The matter will be taken up for further hearing as the court examines accountability, regulatory response, and passenger protection measures during large-scale aviation disruptions.
