उच्च न्यायालय ने उड्डयन मंत्रालय को एयरसेवा पोर्टल संबंधित समस्या का समाधान करने का निर्देश दिया

HC directs Aviation Ministry to address AirSewa portal issue

The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Civil Aviation Ministry to resolve within four weeks a representation regarding the inefficiencies of the AirSewa portal. The portal, designed to serve as a grievance redressal mechanism for air travellers, has reportedly become largely unresponsive, leaving several complaints unresolved. A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and comprising Justice Tushar Rao Gedela issued the direction to the Civil Aviation Ministry to address concerns related to the non-functioning of the AirSewa portal. The direction came while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking action by the ministry on the matter. The PIL filed by Pravasi Legal Cell, an NGO, highlighted the portal's failure to adequately address grievances, particularly affecting Indian citizens living abroad who rely on the platform for redressal of travel-related issues. The issue particularly affects Indian citizens residing abroad, who rely on the platform for redressal of travel-related grievances. The plea, filed through advocate Manas P Hameed, draws attention to the fact that the AirSewa portal, which initially worked well, has deteriorated significantly over the past year.

This deterioration in performance has led to an increased burden of unresolved complaints, resulting in immense inconvenience to air travellers. The inefficiencies in the portal have forced many individuals to approach consumer courts in India for redressal, which is an impractical solution especially for Indian citizens residing abroad. The plea emphasises the urgent need for the Ministry of Civil Aviation to take corrective measures, as the current state of the portal has resulted in many complaints remaining unresolved, thereby complicating the process of seeking justice for air travellers.

The plea states that despite several representations to the concerned authorities, including the Ministry of Civil Aviation, no significant improvement has been made in the functionality of the AirSewa portal. As a result, the petitioner has sought urgent judicial intervention to resolve these burning issues in the public interest. The petition highlights that the current inefficiency of the AirSewa portal has led to affected individuals seeking redressal through consumer courts in India. However, for those living abroad, this process is neither possible nor practical due to logistical challenges such as geographical distance, time zone differences, and the complexity of navigating legal proceedings from abroad. This situation places an undue burden on Indian citizens living abroad who should be able to rely on the AirSewa portal for prompt resolution of their grievances, the petition states.