IndiGo crisis: Court asks Centre how ₹5,000 ticket reached ₹39,000
What's the story
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday pulled up the Centre over the sharp spike in airfares amid the IndiGo chaos, noting that tickets previously available for ₹5,000 had surged to ₹30,000-35,000. "If there were a crisis, how could other airlines be allowed to take advantage? How can fares jump to ₹35,000-39,000? How could other carriers start charging these amounts? How can this happen?" the bench by Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya asked.
Court
'Why did such a situation even precipitate'
In response, ASG Chetan Sharma submitted that the "statutory mechanism is totally in place." The court was hearing a petition seeking government intervention for affected passengers. The Delhi High Court has also sought an explanation from the Centre and IndiGo Airlines over the recent flight disruptions. "Why did such a situation even precipitate? What steps were taken to assist passengers?" asked the bench comprising Chief Justice Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela.
Official statements
Government's response to IndiGo crisis
Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha said the government worked to address passengers' concerns and issued an order coordinating with IndiGo. He claimed all refunds had been processed. He also said that the Centre had been aiming to implement the FDTL for a long time, but the airline had sought extensions for the July and November phases. "This is the first time the ministry has intervened...We have capped the fares this cap itself is a stringent regulatory action," he said.
Business losses
Economic impact of IndiGo flight disruptions
During the urgent hearing, the court also sought details on steps taken to ensure proper behavior of airline staff with stranded passengers. The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has estimated a business loss of nearly ₹1,000 crore due to IndiGo's flight cancellations. CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal said daily disruptions impacted traders, tourists, and business travelers in Delhi.
Regulatory oversight
IndiGo asked to cut flights
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Civil Aviation directed IndiGo to reduce its flight schedule by 10% across all sectors, aimed at stabilizing the airline's operations and reducing cancellations. IndiGo faced a massive operational meltdown after new passenger safety norms were implemented. The rules were aimed at addressing pilot fatigue by increasing downtime. This necessitated hiring more pilots, a challenge for IndiGo which usually emphasizes minimizing downtime. As a result, the airline faced crew shortages and subsequently canceled hundreds of flights.