Part Shifting From T-1 To T-2: Delhi HC Asks All Concerned To Sit Together, Arrive At Settlement

With the airlines – IndiGo, SpiceJet and Go Air -- struggling hard to wriggle out of part shifting of operations from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 of Indira Gandhi International Airport, the Delhi High Court on Thursday, by way of one last opportunity, asked all parties concerned to sit together and arrive at a settlement on the issue.

A bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Rekha Palli asked the airlines, DIAL and all others concerned to chalk out the modalities failing which it will hear the arguments of the parties on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) placed before the bench a short affidavit containing the flying figures, passenger and traffic load of the three airlines from April 1 to December 31, 2017 in compliance of the court’s order.

The bench asked for the figures as the three airlines moved in appeal against the December 20, 2017 order of single judge denying them any relief from part shifting of their operations from T-1 to T-2.

The airlines had challenged various directions/ communication from DIAL between September and October, 2017, directing them to operate their flights, to and fro Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru from Terminal-2 of IGI.

On Thursday, the DGCA submitted the flying figures submitted by the three airlines to the DGCA in International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

It showed the domestic revenue passenger statistics for Go Air at 3.2 million, IndiGo 12.17 million and SpiceJet 3.7 million.

Go Air, represented by senior advocate Darpan Wadhwa assisted by Meghna Mishra, partner, and Ankit Rajgarhia, senior associate from Karanjawala & Co., has been maintaining that it should not be burdened with another move as it has already been shifted to T2 with effect from October 29, 2017, and since its traffic load is minuscule, dividing its sectors between the two terminals would not be appropriate.

After hearing the parties at length, the division bench directed that the parties should sit in the round table to discuss the modalities.

While the airlines had rued inconvenience caused to passengers by such shifting, DIAL has been maintaining that the same was necessitated for redevelopment of T-1 and to cut down load on infrastructure.

Read the Affidavit Here