The Delhi High Court has strongly reprimanded both the central government and the airline over IndiGo’s recent operational crisis. The court said the government failed to prevent a situation where hundreds of flights were cancelled, thousands of passengers stranded and airfares skyrocketing. Chief Justice D.K. Describing the situation as alarming, the division bench headed by Upadhyay raised the question as to why the government did not take proactive steps in time when signs of emerging crisis were already present.
The court said, “If there was a crisis, how could other airlines be allowed to take advantage of it? How did the fare reach Rs 35-40 thousand? You allowed the situation to deteriorate.” The court also added that such a situation not only causes inconvenience to passengers but also has a cascading effect on the country’s economy.
This comment came from the High Court after last week saw a huge increase in air fares across the country amid the massive operational failure of IndiGo. Non-stop flight fares on important routes like Delhi-Mumbai reached Rs 65,460, which was three to four times more than the normal fare. This sparked widespread anger among passengers and raised serious questions about the regulation process of the airline industry.
During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma told the court that the government was taking strict steps against IndiGo. He said a show-cause notice has been issued to the airline and the Center has also imposed a cap on domestic economy-class fares. Additionally, IndiGo has been ordered to cut its total flights by 10%, leading to the cancellation of over 200 flights daily.
However, the court was not satisfied with these measures. After giving details of the steps taken by the ASG, the court directly asked, “You took these steps when the crisis had already arisen. The question is, why was such a situation allowed to arise? What were you doing then?” The court also stressed on providing compensation to the passengers as soon as possible and said that it is the responsibility of both the government and the airline to ensure immediate compensation for the losses incurred.
After the hearing, this case raises big questions on the country’s aviation regulatory system and consumer protection measures, on which further action will be taken.
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