New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has rejected a demand for separate rules to deal with misconduct, rude behaviour and harassment of passengers by airline employees. A bench of Justice Amit Mahajan said framing rules and regulatory guidelines is a policy matter within the jurisdiction of the concerned government authorities. The court cannot compel the government to frame rules according to its preference or prescribe a specific disciplinary action.
The petition was filed by a woman named Shalini Tiwari. She alleged that when she contacted IndiGo airline’s customer service, an employee spoke to her in obscene, insulting and gender-based objectionable language. The woman said she complained several times seeking action against the employee concerned and fixation of accountability, but did not receive satisfactory action.
The petitioner had sought directions to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to create a transparent mechanism for registering complaints against airline employees, conducting inquiries and providing time-bound resolution.
The court said the rules relating to unruly passenger behaviour have been framed with the objective of ensuring safety at airports and on flights. In cases of any improper or unlawful conduct by airline employees, an aggrieved passenger can take civil or criminal action under existing laws, it said.
The bench also noted that the DGCA had informed the woman on July 20, 2026, that the airline had taken corrective and preventive steps on her complaint. The court then dismissed the petition.
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