SC declines to hear PIL on IndiGo disruptions, asks petitioner to approach Delhi HC

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a PIL (public interest litigation) seeking urgent judicial intervention into the recent large-scale operational disruptions faced by IndiGo Airlines, observing that the matter is already being examined by the Delhi High Court.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi, granted liberty to the petitioner-in-person, advocate Narendra Mishra, to raise his concerns before the Delhi High Court, which is seized of a related PIL. The apex court also requested the High Court to allow Mishra to intervene in the pending proceedings.

At the outset, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi informed the court that a PIL concerning the IndiGo disruptions is already pending before the Delhi High Court and that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has constituted a committee to examine the issue.

Taking note of these submissions, the Bench said that while the concerns raised were undoubtedly in the public interest, there was no justification for two parallel proceedings on the same issue.

“We appreciate your concern, but instead of two parallel proceedings, you should go to the Delhi High Court. If the High Court does not address your grievance, you can come to us,” the Bench said.

It added that the Delhi High Court, as a constitutional court, was fully competent to adjudicate the matter. The Supreme Court clarified that it would remain open to the petitioner to approach it again if any grievance survives after the High Court’s decision.

The PIL had alleged that mass flight cancellations and severe delays by IndiGo earlier this month had escalated into what it termed a “humanitarian crisis” at major airports.

It claimed that passengers, including senior citizens, infants and those with medical conditions, were left stranded without adequate food, water, rest facilities or emergency assistance.

The plea argued that the situation went beyond a contractual dispute between airlines and consumers, amounting to a violation of the fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution. It attributed the chaos to planning lapses during the implementation of Phase-II of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms for pilots and alleged inadequate anticipatory oversight by both IndiGo and the aviation regulator.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court, while hearing a separate PIL on the issue, has questioned the Centre on how the situation was allowed to spiral into a nationwide crisis affecting lakhs of passengers and the broader economy. In an order dated 10 December, a Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela observed that such disruptions were not limited to passenger inconvenience but also had serious economic implications, given the importance of air travel to economic activity.

The matter before the Delhi High Court is listed for further hearing on 22 January 2026.

On the operational front, IndiGo has said that its services are steadily normalising. The airline stated on Saturday that it had operated more than 2,000 flights for the second consecutive day, including over 2,050 flights on 12 December, with only two cancellations due to technical issues, and that all affected passengers were promptly accommodated on alternative flights.