Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Dec 8: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant an urgent hearing on a plea seeking immediate intervention into the massive wave of IndiGo flight cancellations and delays that has disrupted travel plans for lakhs of passengers across the country.

An advocate mentioned the matter before the court, stating that nearly 2,500 flights had been delayed at 95 airports, causing widespread inconvenience. Since Tuesday last week, IndiGo has cancelled more than 4,500 flights, with the crisis extending into its seventh day.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi acknowledged the hardships faced by stranded passengers, including those with medical needs. However, the court observed that the Union government had already taken note of the ongoing crisis.

“We understand that lakhs of people are stranded. Maybe some people have urgent work… But the government of India has taken cognisance of the issue. Timely steps appear to have been taken. We don’t see any urgency right now,” CJI Kant said, declining to intervene at this stage.

Meanwhile, a similar petition filed in the Delhi High Court has been scheduled for hearing on Wednesday.

Major operational meltdown

IndiGo's disruptions intensified on Monday, with over 400 more flights cancelled. The DGCA attributed the turmoil to the airline’s inability to comply with the new, stricter pilot rest norms—Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL)—which came into force on November 1, 2025.

The aviation regulator has issued show cause notices to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and the airline’s accountable manager, seeking an explanation for the nationwide collapse in operations.

IndiGo, which requested additional time to prepare its response, was granted a 24-hour extension until 6 pm on Monday.

As flight disruptions continue to ripple across airports, passengers await clear solutions from both the airline and authorities to restore normalcy.