Delhi HC Against IndiGo Over Disruptive Mass Flight Cancellations

The Central government informed the Delhi High Court on Thursday that it has taken concrete action against IndiGo Airlines after an inquiry into the carrier’s mass flight cancellations.

The cancellations had triggered widespread disruption at airports and left lakhs of passengers stranded across the country.

Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya led the bench hearing a PIL seeking an independent probe into the IndiGo crisis. Justice Tejas Karia was also part of the bench.

The court directed both the Centre and the airline to file affidavits within two weeks. The affidavits must outline corrective steps, including compensation measures for affected passengers.

Appearing for the Union government, Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma told the court that authorities acted on the inquiry committee’s findings.

He said IndiGo’s Senior Vice President has stepped down from active duty. Regulators have also imposed a penalty of about Rs 22 crore on the airline.

The Centre further instructed IndiGo to submit a bank guarantee of Rs 50 crore in favour of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

Officials said the guarantee aims to ensure compliance with aviation norms and long-term operational reforms.

Sharma added that regulators have issued formal warnings to key officials. These include the Chief Operating Officer, the Director, the Deputy Head of Flight Operations, and a resource analyst.

Counsel for IndiGo told the court that the airline has already processed refunds for cancelled tickets. He said the company is finalising compensation payments for stranded passengers.

IndiGo has also launched a dedicated website to help affected travellers apply for compensation.

Taking note of the submissions, the High Court directed IndiGo to place all details on record through an affidavit within two weeks.

The bench also accepted the inquiry committee’s report, which the DGCA submitted in a sealed cover, along with its action-taken report.

During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel raised concerns about travel vouchers issued to stranded passengers.

IndiGo clarified that the vouchers carry a value of Rs 10,000 and remain valid for 12 months.

The court observed that the validity period appeared reasonable. However, it asked the airline to seek instructions on cases where passengers fail to use the vouchers within the stipulated time and to report back.

The court has listed the matter for further hearing on February 25.

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