New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday questioned the Centre over the massive flight disruptions caused by IndiGo, calling it a “crisis” that left thousands of passengers stranded and led to unprecedented fare hikes.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, highlighted that the disruption not only caused severe trouble and harassment for travelers but also affected the nation’s economy, which relies heavily on fast and seamless air travel, reported PTI.

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HC Questions Soaring Fares

The court specifically raised concerns over skyrocketing ticket prices, asking,

“The ticket which was available for ₹5,000, the prices went up to ₹30,000 to ₹35,000. If there was a crisis, how could other airlines be permitted to take advantage? How can it go up to ₹35,000 or ₹39,000?”

While acknowledging the corrective steps taken by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the DGCA, the judges questioned how the situation was allowed to escalate to such an extent.

“What bothers us is how such a situation was allowed to precipitate, leading to stranding of lakhs of passengers at airports across the country,” the bench said.

However, the court refrained from commenting on the specific causes of the disruption, noting that a government-appointed committee is already investigating the matter.

“While we have taken cognisance of the issue in public interest, we make it clear that the observations are aimed to ensure that best public interest is served both by the government and the airline,” the court stated.

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Government and DGCA Response

During the hearing, the government’s counsel explained that the chaos stemmed from multiple violations of crew flight-duty guidelines. Authorities also informed the court that they had controlled and capped the fare surge, something unprecedented in the industry.

The DGCA and the Centre assured the court that regulatory mechanisms were in place. IndiGo had already received a show-cause notice and issued a formal apology for the disruption.

A separate ANI report added that the ASG informed the court that the problems arose due to repeated requests by IndiGofor extensions in implementing revised Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) norms, which are designed to reduce pilot fatigue. While smaller carriers had complied with the new norms, IndiGo and Air India had sought extra time.

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Court Directives

The High Court directed the authorities to:

• Normalise operations quickly across all airlines.
• Ensure that all carriers maintain adequate pilot strength to avoid future disruptions.
• Place the ongoing committee inquiry report before the court in a sealed cover by January 22.

The judges emphasized that the proceedings aim to safeguard public interest, ensure airline accountability, and prevent recurrence of such a large-scale disruption.