Delhi High Court questions Centre over IndiGo cancellations, calls disruptions a 'crisis'

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday pressed the Central government to explain how the situation leading to the cancellation of hundreds of IndiGo flights was allowed to “precipitate”, describing the large-scale disruptions as a “crisis” affecting passengers and the economy.

A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said the concern extended beyond the immediate inconvenience and harassment faced by stranded travellers. It observed that the meltdown in India’s largest airline had wider economic implications and warranted closer scrutiny of regulatory preparedness and industry response.

“How could other airlines take advantage of the crisis situation and charge hefty sums for tickets?” the bench asked, noting reports of steep fare spikes on routes where IndiGo had cancelled services.

The court sought to know whether such fare surges amounted to opportunistic pricing and whether the government had mechanisms to prevent it during aviation disruptions.

Counsel representing the Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) told the court that the regulatory framework was intact, and that a show-cause notice had been issued to IndiGo. The airline, they said, had “apologised profusely” for the disruptions.

According to the government, the crisis was triggered by “various non-compliances” of guidelines by IndiGo, including those governing flight duty time limitations for pilots and crew. The transition to the second phase of the new duty-hour norms earlier this month led to large-scale crew shortages, forcing the airline to cancel thousands of flights nationwide.

The bench was hearing a public interest litigation seeking directions to the Centre to ensure full refunds and adequate support for passengers affected by the cancellations. The petitioner argued that the unprecedented scale of disruption — affecting lakhs of passengers — required targeted intervention and tighter regulatory oversight.

The court asked the Centre to file a detailed response addressing the causes of the crisis, oversight measures, passenger protections and fare regulation during emergencies. The matter will be heard next on a date to be fixed.