Delhi High Court Slams Govt Over IndiGo Crisis; Orders Airlines To Pay Compensation To Passengers

The IndiGo crisis has triggered chaos at several airports, with thousands of flights cancelled and fares shooting up. The Delhi High Court has ordered IndiGo to pay compensation to stranded passengers and sharply questioned the Centre for letting ticket prices reach nearly Rs 40,000 on many routes.

During the disruption, airfares on busy sectors spiked sharply as IndiGo’s schedule collapsed. Some passengers searching last week saw non-stop Delhi–Mumbai economy tickets listed at Rs 65,460. After public anger, the Centre intervened by capping domestic economy fares and directing IndiGo to further reduce its daily services.

Delhi High Court response to IndiGo crisis

The bench led by Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya described the IndiGo crisis as "alarming" and linked it to wider economic concerns. The High Court stated, "We expect adequate steps will be taken by the Civil Aviation Ministry, DGCA and IndiGo to compensate passengers who were stranded at airports at the earliest," stressing quick relief for affected travellers.

The judges also criticised the Centre for reacting only after the IndiGo crisis escalated. Questioning the sharp surge in fares, the bench asked, "If there were a crisis, how can other airlines be permitted to take advantage? How can it go to 35-40k? You allowed the situation to precipitate," and added, "Such a situation is not confined to causing inconvenience to the passengers but also affects the economy of the country," highlighting wider fallout.

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma told the court that strict action against IndiGo was underway. Sharma informed the bench that a show-cause notice had already been issued to IndiGo, described as India’s largest airline by market share. The High Court also asked what steps were taken to ensure IndiGo staff treated stranded passengers properly at airports.

Flight cancellations and fares during IndiGo crisis

The IndiGo crisis unfolded as the airline faced a large operational breakdown, leading to mass cancellations across the network. With capacity shrinking quickly, fares on many routes tripled or even quadrupled. In response, the Centre ordered IndiGo to cut 10% of its flights, which translates to more than 200 cancellations every day.

As the Additional Solicitor General listed the Centre’s measures, the Delhi High Court asked why these steps came only after the IndiGo crisis intensified. The bench remarked, "They were taken by you once the crisis erupted. The question is not this. Why at all the situation arise? And what have you been doing?" signalling frustration with the regulator’s timing.

At the heart of the IndiGo crisis lie new Flight Duty Time Limitation norms, which changed crew rest and duty rules from November 1. IndiGo reportedly struggled to match staffing with these rules, causing crew shortages. Some aviation experts argued the chaos appeared manufactured to pressure the Centre into withdrawing or delaying the stricter FDTL framework.

The High Court underlined that regulators had planned a staggered rollout for the FDTL changes and questioned whether IndiGo used that cushion. The bench stated, "The guidelines were to be implemented in a phased manner. They did not do it... If they are not recruiting an appropriate number of pilots, what actions are you taking?" and ordered the Centre to file an investigation report on the IndiGo crisis.

The Delhi High Court will next examine the IndiGo crisis on January 22, 2026. By then, regulators are expected to detail accountability, passenger compensation, and staffing responses. For now, the judiciary, government and IndiGo remain under pressure to stabilise operations, control fares and address the disruption faced by thousands of domestic flyers.