Delhi HC asks IndiGo to file affidavit on refunds, compensation over December flight chaos

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked IndiGo to file an affidavit on payment of refund for cancelled tickets and compensation to passengers who were stranded amid mass cancellation of its flights in December last year.

The counsel for the low-cost air carrier told a bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia that refund for the cancelled flights had been processed and compensation was also being offered in terms of the civil aviation requirements for cancellation of flights.

The counsel also said for flights that were "most severely impacted", Rs 10,000 was being offered as vouchers and a website has been set up for passengers to claim the compensation.

"Let an affidavit be filed by respondent no. 3 to this effect in two weeks," said the bench.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation by advocates Akhil Rana and Utkarsh Sharma seeking directions to the Centre to provide support and refunds to passengers affected by the cancellation of hundreds of flights by IndiGo early December.

Between December 3 and 5, as per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), 2,507 flights were cancelled and 1,852 flights were delayed, impacting over three lakh passengers at airports across the country.

IndiGo cancelled hundreds of flights across the country as the airline was not adequately prepared to implement the new flight duty norms for pilots.

The petitioner said Indigo was offering Rs 10,000 as travel voucher to the stranded passengers, which would expire in some time.

On being informed that the voucher has a validity of 12 months, the bench asked the IndiGo counsel to clarify what would happen to the voucher if an individual was unable to utilise it within the prescribed time frame.

The counsel said he would take instructions.

"Please file an affidavit," the bench said.

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma appeared on behalf of the civil aviation ministry and DGCA, and submitted that several steps were taken by the authorities in the aftermath of the crisis.

A senior vice president of the airline was told to be dismissed from service and a penalty of Rs 22 crore was also imposed, he said.

Further, a bank guarantee of Rs 50 crore was asked for better compliances and some senior officials in the airlines, like the CEO and COO, were warned.

A report of the inquiry initiated by a committee into the disruption was also tendered to the court in a sealed cover.

The matter would be heard next on February 25.