CJI’s Blunt Statement in Supreme Court on IndiGo Flights Cancellation

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear an urgent plea related to IndiGo flight cancellations. During the hearing, they asked to wait for the government to take action in the matter.

The issue of IndiGo's continuous flight cancellations escalated to such an extent that public anger and complaints reached the Supreme Court on Monday. On Monday, an advocate informed the Supreme Court that flights were being cancelled without prior notice, causing distress to passengers and leaving thousands stranded at airports. The advocate requested an immediate hearing on the matter from the Chief Justice of India. However, CJI Suryakant refused to grant an immediate hearing, stating that the government had taken timely action in this regard and that some patience was required.

Why did the Supreme Court refuse an immediate hearing?

On Monday, an advocate filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court seeking an urgent hearing. The advocate argued that the cancellation of flights without prior notice was causing significant hardship and putting passengers in a crisis. Chief Justice of India (CJI) Suryakant stated that the government had already taken cognizance of the matter and an investigation was underway. He added that the court could not directly interfere in the running or operations of an airline. According to The Indian Express, the CJI remarked, "We cannot run an airline. This is a very serious issue. We understand that. Many people had to travel for important work, medical emergencies, and other reasons. But the Government of India has taken cognizance. It appears that timely action has been taken. Let's see what happens.”

Why are IndiGo flights being cancelled?

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had implemented new regulations concerning duty hours. These new rules include providing more rest for pilots, limiting the number of night flights, and reducing long duty schedules. However, the company failed to plan adequately according to these new regulations. The company only changed the schedules of its pilots and crew under these rules. IndiGo believed it could easily operate its flights with these regulations, but the scheduling of pilot timings did not go as planned, leading to a large number of flight cancellations. Consequently, IndiGo flights have been continuously cancelled since December 2. The airline states that it is working to improve the situation and expects normalcy to be restored by December 10.

What steps has the government taken so far?

On December 4, Minister of Civil Aviation K. Ram Mohan Naidu ordered a high-level inquiry into the entire matter and constituted a four-member committee. Subsequently, on December 6, IndiGo was directed to provide full refunds to passengers for all cancelled flights. The government also imposed a ban on other airlines arbitrarily increasing fares. Furthermore, the DGCA issued a notice to IndiGo seeking an explanation for such a significant lapse. IndiGo's CEO requested some time to respond, and in his reply on Sunday, IndiGo stated that they are striving to rectify their network by December 10.