New Delhi [India], December 18 : Congress MP Manish Tewari on Thursday submitted an adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha, seeking urgent discussion on the widespread cancellations and delays by IndiGo, which he said has "stranded thousands of passengers across the country."
In his notice, Tewari wrote, "I hereby give notice of my intention to ask for leave to move a motion for the adjournment of the business of the house adjournment for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent importance, namely; I move that this House do suspend Question Hour, Zero Hour and all other listed business of the day to take up an urgent matter of grave public importance, the ongoing chaos caused by the widespread cancellations and delays by IndiGo, has stranded thousands of passengers across the country."
The Congress leader highlighted the regulatory backdrop, noting, "In January 2024, the government notified new pilot duty-time and rest-period rules- the DGCA's Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms, well in advance, allowing all airlines ample
time to adjust their rosters. Despite this, IndiGo appears to have failed in compliance, leading to cancellations surpassing
one thousand in just a few days and massive disruption nationwide."
Tewari further accused the airline of negligence, adding, "This neglect not only reflects mismanagement but seems tantamount to deliberate non-compliance, forcing the government to roll back safety rules under duress."
He urged the government to take strict action, requesting, "I urge the Government to order an immediate investigation, hold the airline accountable, ensure full refunds and compensation for affected passengers, and put in place safeguards so that public inconvenience of this scale does not recur."
Meanwhile on Wednesday, the Delhi High Court disposed of a fresh public interest litigation (PIL) filed against IndiGo Airlines over mass flight cancellations and passenger hardship, holding that the issues raised are already under consideration in an earlier pending writ petition before the Court.
Dictating the order, the Court observed that the issues highlighted in the PIL primarily relate to remedial measures required to address the situation that arose due to the cancellation of a large number of flights and the disruption of services by Respondent No. 3, IndiGo.