Delhi HC seeks accountability over Indigo flight chaos

New Delhi, Dec 10: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sharply criticised the Union government for failing to prevent the severe disruption caused by IndiGo’s widespread flight cancellations and delays, observing that authorities acted only after the situation had spiralled out of control, reports Bar & Bench.

A Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela questioned whether the Centre was “helpless” in acting against erring airlines and asked why the crisis was allowed to unfold.

The judges noted that lakhs of passengers were left stranded, with the chaos hurting not just travellers but also the economy.

While acknowledging remedial steps taken by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and DGCA, the Court said the real concern was how the situation was permitted to deteriorate in the first place.

It directed IndiGo to adhere strictly to DGCA rules on compensation and passenger facilities during delays and cancellations, and asked the government to ensure enforcement.

The court also highlighted that existing aviation laws allow the Centre and DGCA to act against non-compliant airlines.

It pressed the government on why guidelines, especially those related to pilot duty hours, were not implemented on time, raising concerns about aviation safety.

IndiGo, hit hard by a shortage of pilots and delays in enforcing new Flight Duty Time Limitation norms, argued that this was its first major disruption in 19 years.

However, the court was not persuaded, stressing that passengers had suffered immense inconvenience.

The bench further asked the government to clarify what punitive measures it can take under existing laws and sought details on steps taken to assist affected travellers.

It also questioned fare hikes by other airlines during the crisis.

With a high-level inquiry under way, the court asked that the report, if completed, be submitted in a sealed cover before the next hearing on January 22, 2026.