Delhi High Court Demands Detailed Compensation Plan from IndiGo for December Flight Disruptions
The Delhi High Court has issued a directive to IndiGo, requiring the airline to provide a clear explanation of how it intends to compensate passengers who were severely impacted by the widespread flight cancellations and delays that occurred last December. The court emphasized that merely issuing refunds does not adequately address the hardships faced by travelers during the crisis.
Court Questions Compensation Framework Beyond Refunds
During the hearing, the bench comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia pressed IndiGo's counsel to clarify the airline's compensation approach under civil aviation regulations. The judges stated, "Apart from refunding fares, what are the civil aviation rules for compensation? Please file an affidavit about compensation." This came after the counsel informed the court that refunds for cancelled flights had already been processed.
IndiGo's representative submitted that for flights deemed "most severely impacted," the airline is offering vouchers worth Rs 10,000 to each affected passenger. He mentioned that a dedicated website has been established to facilitate compensation claims. However, the bench raised a critical question: "You know who the flyers are; why do they need to claim compensation?" The court has given the airline two weeks to file an affidavit detailing its compensation plan.
PIL Highlights Passenger Grievances and Legal Arguments
The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocates Akhil Rana and Utkarsh Sharma. The petitioners sought directions from the court to the Central Government to ensure support and refunds for passengers affected by the cancellation of hundreds of IndiGo flights during the period. They argued that compensation should be provided in monetary form rather than through vouchers, which may have limitations.
The petitioners pointed out that IndiGo had issued travel vouchers to stranded passengers with a specific time limit for utilization. When the airline's counsel indicated that these vouchers are valid for 12 months, the judges acknowledged that this timeframe appears reasonable. Nevertheless, they inquired about options for passengers who might not use the vouchers within that period.
Regulatory Actions and Systemic Failures Uncovered
The Civil Aviation Ministry and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) informed the court that authorities have implemented measures to prevent a recurrence of such a crisis. Based on the findings of an inquiry committee, significant actions have been taken against IndiGo.
The Centre's counsel revealed that IndiGo's senior vice-president for operations was asked to step down, and a penalty of Rs 22 crore was imposed on the airline for its failure to adhere to new flight roster norms. Additionally, the airline was directed to furnish a bank guarantee of Rs 50 crore to ensure compliance with regulatory directions and to implement long-term systemic corrections. Warnings were also issued to key personnel, including the chief operating officer, director, deputy head of flight operations, and a resource analyst.
The inquiry report, submitted to the court in a sealed cover, detailed the extent of the disruptions. Between December 3 and 5, IndiGo cancelled 2,507 flights and delayed 1,852 others, affecting over three lakh passengers across the country. The investigation found that the airline was inadequately prepared to implement the new flight duty norms for pilots, leading to the operational breakdown.
This case underscores the ongoing challenges in the aviation sector regarding passenger rights and corporate accountability, with the Delhi High Court playing a pivotal role in ensuring that airlines fulfill their obligations beyond mere financial reimbursements.
