“Humanitarian crisis at airports”: PIL in Indian SC seeks judicial intervention into IndiGo flight chaos
New Delhi: In the midst of IndiGo Airlines’ unprecedented operational collapse, a public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Indian Supreme Court, seeking urgent judicial intervention into what petitioners describe as a humanitarian crisis in India’s skies. The airline has reportedly cancelled over 1,000 flights in recent days, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and scrambling for answers.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the plea, filed by the group ‘IndiGo All Passenger and Another’ through advocate Narendra Mishra, urged the Indian top court to take suo motu cognisance of the crisis, terming it a grave violation of the fundamental rights of citizens, including the right to life and dignity under Article 21.
The petition says the chaos triggered by mass cancellations and severe delays has escalated into a “humanitarian crisis” at major airports. Passengers, including senior citizens, infants, and those with medical needs, were left without food, water, rest areas, or even emergency assistance.
“The situation has transcended a mere contractual dispute between airline and consumer. It has become a matter of grave public injury and a clear violation of the Fundamental Right to Life and Liberty (Article 21) of the citizens of India,” the plea states.
IndiGo has publicly attributed the disruptions to planning lapses during the rollout of Phase-II of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms for pilots. The plea, however, contended that neither the airline nor the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) performed adequate anticipatory oversight. It also flagged exorbitant fares, touching upwards of Rs 50,000 on key routes, which “held the travelling public hostage” and “destroyed the fundamental promise of affordable air travel”.
Calling for a Special Bench to hear the matter urgently, the petition urged the Supreme Court to direct IndiGo to cease arbitrary cancellations and provide free, alternative travel arrangements, including seats on other airlines or trains, for all stranded passengers.
The petition emphasized that lakhs of citizens were stripped of necessities in this national-level distress, and only immediate judicial oversight can restore accountability and public confidence in India’s civil aviation framework.
