IndiGo crisis: Delhi High Court questions the Center over the IndiGo problem, pointing up economic losses

IndiGo crisis: The Delhi High Court called the scenario that caused IndiGo to cancel many flights a “crisis” and questioned the Central government on Wednesday.

The top court said that the issue is the harm done to the nation’s economy in addition to the difficulties and harassment experienced by the stranded travelers.

Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela’s bench also questioned how other airlines would use the emergency and demand exorbitant ticket prices from travelers.

“The ticket, which had been priced at Rs 5,000, now costs between Rs 30,000 and Rs 35,000. How might other airlines be allowed to profit in the event of a crisis? How is it possible for the ticket price to go to Rs 35,000 and Rs 39,000? After hearing the case for almost an hour and a half, the court inquired, “How could other airlines start charging?”

The bench ordered that if a committee’s investigation is finished by the next hearing date on January 22, its report must be sent to the court in a sealed cover.

“While we applaud the actions taken by the DGCA and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, we are concerned about how this situation was allowed to develop and result in the stranding of thousands of travelers at airports around the nation.

“This has not only caused trouble to the passengers but also affected the economy of the country as in the present day, fast movement of passengers is an important aspect to keep the economy moving,” the judge said.

The Center’s and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) legal representatives told the court that the statutory procedure was fully implemented and that Indigo had been given a show-cause notice, for which the airline tendered a heartfelt apology.

The government’s attorney said that the situation was brought on by a number of infractions of the rules that the authorities sometimes imposed, including crew members’ flying duty hours.

It claimed that, for the first time ever, the extraordinary increase had been contained and capped.

The court was considering a public interest lawsuit that asked the Center to provide assistance and reimbursements to travelers impacted by IndiGo’s cancellation of hundreds of flights.

Throughout the hearing, the judges voiced their displeasure with the way the petition was submitted without doing any investigation or providing any supporting data.

IndiGo’s attorney told the court that a number of circumstances, including unanticipated problems, contributed to the situation.

The airline was ordered by the court to arrange for the stranded customers to get compensation for both flight cancellations and other issues.

We won’t comment on the cause of respondent No. 3’s (airline) flight operations interruptions since a committee has already been established where IndiGo will have a chance to present its case. The court said, “While we have acknowledged the issue in the public interest, we make it clear that the observations are intended to ensure that both the government and the airline (IndiGo) serve the best public interest.”

The court also ordered the government to make sure that all airlines hire enough pilots and that things quickly return to normal.