IndiGo Flight Cancellation Crisis Reaches Supreme Court and Delhi High Court; Fresh Hearing Set for December 10

The nationwide chaos triggered by IndiGo’s mass flight cancellations has now reached both the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court. While the Supreme Court on Monday described the situation as “a serious matter,” it refrained from intervening. The Delhi High Court, meanwhile, has agreed to hear a petition against the airline on December 10.

IndiGo has cancelled hundreds of flights since December 2, causing widespread disruption. Though the airline has cited multiple factors, aviation insiders attribute the turmoil largely to changes in pilot duty-time regulations. The Gurugram-based carrier is facing mounting pressure from the central government and growing anger from passengers.

Delhi High Court to Hear Plea on December 10

A petition urging the Centre to offer support and refunds to affected passengers was mentioned before a bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, which scheduled the hearing for December 10, according to PTI.

Ahead of the hearing, Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha said the government had intervened swiftly, claiming that “100% refunds for PNR cancellations” had been processed after coordination with IndiGo. He added that baggage stuck due to cancellations would be delivered to passengers within 24 hours. “Ninety per cent of the baggage has already arrived,” he told ANI.

Government Orders IndiGo to Cut Flights by 10%

The civil aviation ministry said IndiGo had failed to reliably operate its winter and summer schedules, prompting the government to order a 10% reduction in its flights across sectors. Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the cut was necessary to stabilise operations and curb cancellations. IndiGo has been asked to submit a revised schedule by 5 p.m. on December 10.

Supreme Court Flags Concern But Does Not Step In

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant noted that “lakhs of people are stranded at airports,” but the Supreme Court declined to urgently hear a plea seeking judicial intervention, observing that the Centre had already taken action.

Cancellations Continue Nationwide

IndiGo reportedly grounded more than 400 flights on Tuesday alone. Delhi and Bengaluru were the hardest hit, with 152 and 121 cancellations respectively. Other affected airports included Hyderabad (58), Chennai (41), Ahmedabad (16), Thiruvananthapuram (4), and Mumbai (3). Nearly 5,000 flights have been cancelled since the crisis began.