New Delhi: As the situation gradually improves on the IndiGo front, with lesser number of cancellations/delays and better on time performance following government pressure, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea seeking an urgent hearing over the IndiGo crisis.
Noting that the government has already taken cognisance of the IndiGo flight cancellation issue, a two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant said it will first see what action is forthcoming from the Centre.
“We can’t run an airline… It’s a very serious issue. We understand that. Lakhs of people have been stranded at the airport, people who have urgent work, who
need to take care of health issues. But then the government of India has taken cognisance… Timely action appears to have been taken… Let us see what happens,” the CJI said.
The issue was brought up by a lawyer who told the top court that passengers were suffering as flights were being cancelled without any prior intimation.
“The cancellations are not informed to the flyers,” he said, adding that around 2,500 flights have been disrupted and customers are suffering at 95 airports across the country.
Meanwhile, Delhi High Court has agreed to hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) which alleged unchecked violations of rules by IndiGo, including arbitrary cancellations, overbooking, passenger rights violations, discriminatory practices, and DGCA compliance failures led to the ongoing aviation crisis.
The PIL, to be heard on Wednesday, seeks an independent judicial investigation into IndiGo’s large-scale flight cancellations and directions to the Centre to provide basic facilities to the passengers stuck at various airports across the country immediately.