Supreme Court Directs IndiGo Disruption PIL To Delhi High Court

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a public interest litigation seeking urgent judicial intervention into recent large-scale flight disruptions faced by IndiGo Airlines, citing the pendency of a related matter before the Delhi High Court.

A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant granted liberty to advocate Narendra Mishra, who appeared in person, to raise his concerns before the High Court.

The Bench also requested the Delhi High Court to allow him to intervene in the ongoing proceedings.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi informed the court that a PIL concerning the same issue was already under consideration before the Delhi High Court and that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had constituted a committee to examine the disruptions.

While acknowledging the public interest involved, the apex court clarified that it would be open to the petitioner to approach the Supreme Court again if any grievance remained unaddressed after the High Court’s decision.

The Bench underlined that the High Court was fully competent to deal with the matter.

Allegations of Public Hardship

The PIL alleged that widespread flight cancellations and delays by IndiGo had resulted in a ‘humanitarian crisis’ at major airports.

It claimed that the airline left passengers, including senior citizens, infants, and those with medical needs, without basic facilities such as food, water, rest areas, or emergency support.

The plea further argued that the issue went beyond a contractual dispute between airlines and consumers, contending that the situation amounted to a violation of citizens’ fundamental right to life under Article 21.

It attributed the disruptions to planning failures during the rollout of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms for pilots, alleging inadequate oversight by both IndiGo and the regulator.

In parallel proceedings, the Delhi High Court has questioned the Centre over how the situation escalated into a nationwide disruption affecting lakhs of passengers and the broader economy. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on January 22, 2026.

Meanwhile, IndiGo said operations were steadily normalising. The airline reported that it operated over 2,000 flights for two consecutive days, recorded only minimal cancellations due to technical reasons, and promptly accommodated all affected passengers on alternate flights.

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