The Delhi High Court questioned the Centre on why airfares surged to Rs 40,000 and why passengers were left stranded amid hundreds of IndiGo flight cancellations.
BY PC Bureau
December 10, 2025: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday expressed serious concern over the skyrocketing airfares and the Centre’s handling of the ongoing IndiGo crisis, raising questions about the hardships faced by passengers who were forced to pay as much as Rs 40,000 for a one-way ticket. The bench, comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed to seek refunds, support, and compensation for travelers affected by the cancellation of hundreds of IndiGo flights in recent days.
The court described the situation as “quite a crisis” and asked pointedly why such a scenario was allowed to escalate. “It is not only about individual passengers stranded at airports,” the bench said. “There is also a wider economic impact. What measures has the government taken to assist people and compensate them for their losses?” The court also inquired about steps taken to ensure airline staff behaved appropriately toward passengers left in distress at airports.
#BREAKING: The Delhi High Court has flagged the IndiGo flight crisis, questioning the government on measures for stranded passengers, delayed implementation of pilot working time rules, and airline staff behavior. The court also noted ticket prices soaring from ₹4-5,000 to… pic.twitter.com/LgqRtyhyAI
— IANS (@ians_india) December 10, 2025
A major point of contention raised by the court was the delayed implementation of pilot duty-hour guidelines, which significantly contributed to IndiGo’s rostering collapse. “Most importantly, why were the guidelines not implemented on time?” the bench asked. In response, the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) claimed that the government had imposed fare caps as a “very strict measure” to prevent exploitation of passengers. The court pushed back, noting that fares had already surged from Rs 4,000–5,000 to as high as Rs 30,000 before the caps were applied, asking, “After how many days did the government act? After four or five days?”
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The court also raised concerns over other airlines hiking fares during the disruption, questioning, “If there is such a crisis, how can other airlines take advantage of it and charge up to Rs 40,000 for a one-way ticket?”
Government counsel told the court that a statutory mechanism was in place to regulate the situation. A show-cause notice had been issued to IndiGo, and the airline had “apologised profusely” for the disruptions. The ASG noted that the crisis stemmed from multiple non-compliances with regulations, including violations of crew flight duty-hour guidelines.
Adding further context, the ASG said the Centre had granted a one-time exemption to IndiGo in the “public interest,” clarifying that this decision was taken after prolonged deliberation and would remain valid only until February 2026. The court, however, emphasized the need for timely implementation of regulations and questioned the government’s role in preventing such crises before they spiraled out of control.
The case is ongoing as the Delhi High Court continues to examine the Centre’s regulatory powers, the accountability provisions available against airlines, and the broader economic and passenger welfare implications of such operational failures.
