SC to hear Indigo Airlines challenging Meghalaya HC order to make Umroi airport operational

Indigo airlines Wednesday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Meghalaya High Court direction to all commercial operators and the Ministry of Civil Aviation to urgently take a decision to start flights from Umroi airport, 30 km from capital Shillong.

The apex court was told that the high court on its own had last week taken up the matter and asked the Director General of Civil Aviation, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airport Authority of India Chairman to hold a meeting within a week on the issue of making the airport operational.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Indigo Airlines, mentioned the petition before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, which agreed to give it an urgent hearing on Thursday.

The bench, also comprising Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, was told that the airport was not ready for landing of big aircraft and does not have fire-fighting facilities.

"The operation can't start," Rohatgi submitted before the bench.

The high court on December 7 had directed that the exercise for taking decision to make operational the airport has to be completed within seven days and had posted the matter for further hearing on December 14.

Besides Indigo, other operators were also represented by their advocates before the high court.

The brief hearing also witnessed lighter moments when the bench told Rohatgi that he will now be identified as as Indigo's counsel.

"You will have tremendous disadvantage," the CJI said indicating there would be lot of requests to him.

When Rohatgi mentioned the matter, the CJI asked him "Who are you?"
He replied "I am Indigo."