SpiceJet Mishaps: Lawyer Moves Delhi High Court Seeking To Stop Company's Flying Services

A public interest litigation has been filed by a lawyer before the Delhi High Court raising safety concerns and seeking to stop flying services of Spice Jet Limited, in view of recent flight mishaps in the past two months.

Moved by Advocate Rahul Bhardwaj, the plea makes Union of India, Ministry of Civil Aviation, DGCA and Spice Jet Limited as respondents.

The plea will be heard on Monday by a division bench comprising of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad.

The petition refers to seven incidents, three in May, two in June and two in the month of July wherein many of the Spice Jet flights encountered mishaps. 

May 1: 12 passengers injured in Mumbai-Durgapur flight

May 4: SpiceJet flight returns to Chennai

May 30: DGCA hauls up SpiceJet for training pilots in faulty simulator

June 19: Flight to Jabalpur returns due to cabin smoke

June 19: Jabalpur-bound flight lands after cabin pressure failure

July 5: Flight to Dubai makes emergency landing due to tech glitch

July 5: Aircraft makes priority landing in Mumbai due to cracked windshield

The plea avers that while the DGCA is responsible for all the rules, regulations, inquiries in operation of airlines, however, Spice Jet is not performing its duty properly and that the delay in taking action may cause damage to life and property of passengers.

The plea thus seeks to constitute a special fast track commission taking the decision on feasibility of "Stop" of operation by Spice Jet as an interim relief to escape any safety failure accident.

It has been averred that the respondent authorities have miserably failed to protect the precious, life, liberty and dignity of the citizens and passengers and have also failed to provide healthy environment to them.

The plea claims that every citizen or passenger has a basic and natural right to lead their journey with dignity, honor and reputation and that any procedural law which does not make the provision of Special inquiry until stopping of operations is negation of Article 21.

"Because any procedural and substantial law which deprived the citizens healthy environment is violative of Article 21 of Constitution of India and the same is highly unjust, unwarranted, irrational, illegal, capricious, arbitrary uncalled and against the passengers and citizens," the plea adds.

The plea also seeks directions on the Respondents to compensate the fair charges to passengers who have faced threat of their life during journey.

Case Title: Rahul Bhardwaj v. Union of India & Ors.