IndiGo Flight Cancellations: Delhi High Court to Hear Urgent Petition Today as Crisis Deepens

Delhi High Court Schedules Hearing on IndiGo Crisis

The Delhi High Court will hear an urgent petition today, December 10, regarding the ongoing IndiGo flight cancellation crisis that has disrupted travel for thousands of passengers across India.

A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela listed the matter for hearing after a petition was mentioned seeking directions to the Centre to provide support and refunds to affected passengers, according to news agency PTI.

The IndiGo cancellation crisis has now reached the highest levels of India’s judiciary, with both the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court addressing the matter. While the top court termed the chaos “a serious matter”, it stopped short of direct intervention.

IndiGo Cancels Over 5,000 Flights Since December 2

IndiGo has been facing significant disruptions to its services, having cancelled hundreds of flights since December 2. Aviation insiders believe the mass cancellations are primarily due to regulatory changes in pilots’ flight duty and regulations.

On Tuesday alone, IndiGo reportedly cancelled more than 400 flights. Since the beginning of the mass cancellations, nearly 5,000 flights have been cancelled.

Cities Most Affected by Flight Cancellations

The disruptions have hit major Indian cities hardest:

Delhi: 152 flights cancelled
Bengaluru: 121 flights cancelled
Hyderabad: 58 flights cancelled
Chennai: 41 flights cancelled
Ahmedabad: 16 flights cancelled
Thiruvananthapuram: 4 flights cancelled
Mumbai: 3 flights cancelled

Government Orders 10% Cut in IndiGo Operations

The civil aviation ministry noted that IndiGo has not demonstrated an ability to operate its winter and summer schedules efficiently, and thus, directed the airline to reduce its operations by 10 per cent across sectors.

Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said that the ministry considered it necessary to curtail IndiGo’s overall routes, as this would help stabilise the airline’s operations and lead to reduced cancellations. The Gurugram-based airline has been asked to submit a revised schedule by 5 PM on December 10.

IndiGo is currently facing backlash from both the central government and passengers due to the chaos surrounding cancellations.

100% Refunds Completed, Says Aviation Secretary

Before the hearing, civil aviation secretary Samir Kumar Sinha stated that the government had actively worked to address passengers’ concerns in the wake of the recent IndiGo operational crisis.

“It was a major concern, and in fact, we took due notice, and we issued an order, and also we coordinated with IndiGo, and I think all 100% refunds have already been completed,” he told ANI.

Passenger Baggage to Be Delivered Within 24 Hours

The aviation secretary also stated that passengers will receive their baggage within the next 24 hours.

“That is a major concern of the passengers. I had come to see the baggage operation here. We just saw that 90 per cent of the baggage has already arrived. The airlines have been sending baggage to their respective passengers’ addresses. I feel that within the next 24 hours or so, the luggage will be there at the passenger’s given address,” he said in the interview.

100 per cent refunds for PNR cancellations had apparently been completed.

Supreme Court Refuses Urgent Hearing

Chief Justice of India Sanjay Kant said on Monday that lakhs of people are stranded at the airports, even though the apex court refused to accord an urgent hearing to a plea seeking judicial intervention into the matter, saying the Centre had taken steps to address it.

The Supreme Court stopped short of intervening in the crisis directly.

Key Takeaways

Quick Facts:

Nearly 5,000 IndiGo flights cancelled since December 2
Delhi HC hearing scheduled for December 10
Government orders 10% operational reduction
100% passenger refunds reportedly completed
90% of stranded baggage already dispatched
Revised schedule deadline: 5 PM, December 10

The IndiGo cancellation crisis continues to echo in every corner of the country, including the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court. While the carrier has given a multitude of reasons for the disruptions, the aviation sector awaits the airline’s revised operational schedule and the outcome of today’s court hearing.