'How can tickets cost Rs 40,000?': High Court pulls up Centre over Indigo crisis, skyrocketing fares
PTC News Desk: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday pulled up the Centre over the Indigo meltdown which saw hundreds of flight cancellations, and questioned its failure to prevent airlines from charging fares as high as Rs 40,000.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya slammed the Centre for enabling a situation to precipitate and take action only after it slipped out of the hands.
"If there were a crisis, how can other airlines be permitted to take advantage? How can it go to 35-40k? You allowed the situation to precipitate," the court said. "Such a situation is not confined to causing inconvenience to the passengers but also affects the economy of the country," it further said.
In response to which, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma said strict action against IndiGo, India's largest airline, was being taken, and a show-cause notice was already served to the carrier.
Amid Indigo's nationwide chaos, the airfares tripled and even quadrupled with stranded passengers struggling last-minute bookings with other airlines. Several foreign cities cost less than busiest domestic routes. Between Mumbai and Delhi, a one-way ticket fare soared up to Rs 35,000 in the economy category - which, usually, a double trip costs up to Rs 20,000, if booked last minute.
The court also asked Centre that why pilots were overworked and what action has been taken to mitigate this.
- PTC NEWS
