Key Points:
- Delhi High Court orders IndiGo to compensate all affected passengers per DGCA regulations immediately, with 72-hour processing deadline
- Court slams government over predatory fare hikes of 39,000-40,000 rupees, asks what it was doing all this time
- Central government empowered under Section 19 to suspend/revoke licenses, impose fines up to ₹1 crore or two-year imprisonment
- Division bench demands independent judicial inquiry, strict FDTL rule implementation after July and November undertakings
- Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announces investigation into DGCA functioning, apologizes to passengers
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday delivered a scathing indictment of the central government’s handling of the IndiGo crisis, with a division bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela questioning how the situation was allowed to deteriorate to the point where airfares skyrocketed to ₹40,000 on routes normally priced at ₹5,000-7,000. The court’s sharp observations came during a hearing on a public interest litigation seeking an independent judicial inquiry into the airline’s operational collapse that has stranded over 200,000 passengers nationwide with more than 600 flights cancelled and 1,200 delayed in the past week alone.
Court’s Stern Rebuke: “What Were You Doing All This Time?”
During the intense hearing, the bench directly confronted the central government’s counsel, demanding answers for the regulatory lapse that permitted competing airlines to exploit the crisis with predatory pricing. “What was the government doing all this time while passengers suffered and the economy took a hit?” the court asked, emphasizing that smooth passenger movement is critical to the functioning of the economy in today’s interconnected world. The judges noted that the crisis extends beyond passenger inconvenience, directly impacting business travel, tourism, and supply chains across major metropolitan routes.
Four Directives to Restore Normalcy
The court issued four specific orders to address the immediate crisis:
- Compensation Mandate: IndiGo must compensate all affected passengers in accordance with DGCA regulations without delay. The Ministry of Civil Aviation must monitor compliance and ensure passengers also receive compensation for consequential losses if provisions exist.
- Immediate Payment Process: The airline has been directed to immediately initiate compensation payments, with the court setting a deadline for processing claims within 72 hours of filing.
- Government Enforcement Powers: The central government must exercise its authority under Section 19 of the Aircraft Act, which empowers it to restrict, suspend, or revoke licenses and approval certificates. Violations can attract penalties of up to ₹1 crore, imprisonment up to two years, or both.
- Crisis Resolution: The government must ensure passengers face no further inconvenience and the situation returns to normal immediately. This includes urgent recruitment of adequate staff and pilots to restore the airline’s operational capacity.
Independent Inquiry Demand and FDTL Implementation
The PIL, filed by passenger rights advocates, demanded an independent judicial probe into the root causes of the crisis. While the court refrained from drawing conclusions pending the inquiry committee’s report, it emphasized that the DGCA, government, and committee must make decisions without judicial influence. The central government’s lawyer informed the court that the government is committed to implementing Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules, with undertakings provided in July and November. The bench, however, accused the DGCA of inaction and failure to enforce compliance earlier, noting that warnings about pilot fatigue and scheduling issues were ignored for months.
DGCA Under Government Scanner
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu publicly acknowledged the regulatory failure, stating in a televised interview that the DGCA’s functioning will be thoroughly investigated. “We are not just investigating the airline, but also examining why the regulator failed to prevent this crisis,” the minister said, offering an unconditional apology to affected passengers. He assured that strict and appropriate action will be taken against all responsible parties, including regulatory officials if negligence is proven. The minister revealed that a high-level committee has been formed to review DGCA’s oversight mechanisms.
Economic Impact and Monitoring Compliance
The court has scheduled the next hearing for December 17, 2025, directing the government to submit a compliance report on pilot recruitment, compensation disbursal, and FDTL implementation. The bench warned that failure to demonstrate substantial progress would result in contempt proceedings against both the airline and regulatory officials. Business travelers have missed crucial meetings, medical patients have missed appointments, and families have been stranded at airports for days, highlighting the severe economic and social impact of the regulatory breakdown.
