SC rejects Indigo plea on terminal shift

◗ Court grants some relief by extending timeline to approach Delhi International Airport Ltd’s ( Dial)

New Delhi, Feb. 22: The Supreme Court on Friday disposed of a plea of nofrill carrier IndiGo challenging a Delhi high court order to shift its operations partially from Terminal- 1 ( T- 1) of the IGI Airport here to Terminal 2.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice D. Y. Chandrachud refused to interfere with the high court’s February 13 order by which it had directed the airline to shift its operations partially to T2 but granted some relief by extending the timeline to approach Delhi International Airport Ltd’s ( Dial).

The high court had granted a week to IndiGo and SpiceJet to approach Dial for suggesting flights to and from sectors that they would be ready and willing to shift from T- 1 to T- 2, as long as they collectively meet the yardstick of one- third passenger traffic volumes of their operations at T- 1.

“Having heard counsel for the parties, though we are not inclined to interfere, we extend the time under the first direction ( of approaching Dial) issued by the high court, till March 3, 2018,” the bench said.

The top court said that after the intimation is sent to Dial, it shall decide within ten days therefrom, but restrained it from taking any decision before the expiry of one week.

It said that after Dial takes a decision on the timeline for shifting, IndiGo shall comply with the same within ten days therefrom. The budget carrier had on February 19 approached the apex court against the February 13 order.