INDIGO GOES TO HIGH COURT AGAINST MOVE TO TERMINAL 2

NEWDELHI: IndiGo, India’s biggest airline by market share, approached the Delhi high court on November 4, challenging a Delhi International Airport Pvt. Ltd (DIAL) decision relating to shifting a part of the airline’s operations to a new terminal.

IndiGo, run by Interglobe Aviation Ltd, does not want to split its operations and move a part of them to the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport’s newly opened Terminal 2 from Terminal 1.

IndiGo wants a quashing of directions set out in DIAL’s letters asking it to shift ‘part’ of its flights. It is also seeking a quashing of the authority vested in DIAL by the aviation ministry’s letter dated July 14 to decide a suitable course of action in shifting of airline operations.

It wants an injunction/stay, restricting DIAL from shifting its operations to T2 until the matter is finally decided by the courts.

DIAL had asked airlines operating from T1 to shift one-third of their flights to T2 to enable it to expand the terminal to meet growing passenger numbers. IndiGo claims that shifting partially to T2 will result in confusion and cause inconvenience to passengers.

“IndiGo has filed a writ petition (along with an interim application for injunction/stay) in the Delhi High Court, challenging DIAL’s decision to shift a part of our operations from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 of IGI Airport Delhi,” IndiGo said in a statement. The writ is likely to come up for hearing on Wednesday, IndiGo said.

“The writ petition has been filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to challenge the arbitrary, discriminatory, illegal and mala fide decision by DIAL on the strength of assumed authority given to it by MOCA (ministry of civil aviation) to permit one airline (Go Air) to shift its entire operations from T1 to T2 with effect from October 29,” the IndiGo statement said. A Delhi Airport spokesman confirmed the move but declined comment as the matter is subjudice.