The PIL also sought an enquiry by a retired judge or Lokpal to identify negligence and lapses by the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that precipitated the crisis. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
A public interest litigation (PIL) filed in the Delhi High Court has sought a direction to the Centre and Indigo airline to pay four times the full ticket price as compensation to all passengers whose tickets were cancelled during the November and December flight disruption.
The PIL, which will come up for hearing on Wednesday (December 17, 2025), also sought an enquiry by a retired judge or Lokpal to identify negligence and lapses by the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that precipitated the crisis.
The petition further sought to direct the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Department of Consumer Affairs to initiate a “class action suit” under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act against Indigo for the suffering and damage caused to passengers over the last couple of months.
Severe inconvenience
According to the petitioner, Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC), represented by its president, Prof Vikram Singh, the Indigo fiasco triggered widespread concern across the aviation sector, and due to sudden disruption and last-minute cancellations of thousands of flights, stranded passengers faced severe inconvenience.
The plea, filed by advocates Virag Gupta, Shourya Tiwari, and Rupali Panwar, said airports were overflowing with misdirected pieces of baggage, excessive holdups, inadequate communication from the airlines, and confusion regarding refunds or re-booking options.
“Indigo operates around 410 aircraft with 5,700 pilots, translating to roughly 14 pilots per aircraft. This skeletal staffing model is insufficient as new rest rules require more pilots to operate the same flight schedule,” the plea said.
“When the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules reduced pilot availability, the numbers stopped crunching, which led to a national aviation crisis. Instead of taking remedial, penal action and giving appropriate compensation as per the existing laws, the matter is being diverted in the name of an enquiry and emphasis on the need for new laws,” it said.
Published – December 17, 2025 12:07 am IST
