In a latest development, the Supreme Court has declined to entertain a petition over widespread flight cancellations and delays by IndiGo Airlines, observing that the matter is already being examined by a High Court.

A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi, advised petitioner-advocate Narendra Mishra to raise his concerns in the ongoing High Court proceedings instead of pursuing parallel litigation. “We appreciate the issue but instead of parallel proceedings, you go to High Court,” the Bench said, while also requesting the High Court to allow his intervention.

Although Mishra highlighted the daily hardships faced by air passengers, the Bench acknowledged the seriousness of the issue but chose not to intervene at this stage. “It is also a constitutional court. If your grievances are not redressed then you can come here,” the judges observed.

The Court also noted that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has already constituted an expert committee to examine IndiGo’s pilot shortage and alleged shortcomings in the implementation of the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules. In response to the crisis, the DGCA has granted IndiGo temporary exemptions and directed a 10% reduction in the airline’s scheduled flights.

Last week, the Delhi High Court sharply rebuked the Union government and DGCA for their failure to prevent the crisis, directing the airline to compensate stranded passengers and ordering that the DGCA’s completed inquiry report be placed before the court in a sealed cover.

The High Court had observed, "We appreciate the steps taken by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and DGCA. However, what bothers us is as to how such a situation was allowed to precipitate, leaving lakhs of passengers unattended at the airports. Such a situation is not confined to causing inconvenience to the passengers but also affects the economy of the country, as in the present day fast movement of passengers is an important aspect to keep the economy functioning,"

In response, DGCA dismissed four flight operations inspectors and deployed officers to Indigo's Gurgaon headquarters for close monitoring to restore normalcy in air travel.