Poor Air Connectivity Hampers Lawyers' Access To HC Benches And Supreme Court: Law Student Tells MP High Court

In the ongoing PIL seeking to increase air connectivity to Jabalpur, the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday (August 28) allowed an intervention application filed by a final year law student highlighting the difficulties faced by lawyers and litigants due to poor flight connectivity from Jabalpur to its benches at Indore and Gwalior, as well as to the Supreme Court in Delhi.

In his plea, the law student Parth Shrivastava referred to the principal bench of Jabalpur and its relationship with the Indore and Gwalior benches, and argued that there was inadequate connectivity among the three benches.

Extending his argument, Senior Advocate Aditya Sanghi appearing for the Petitioner said, 'Bhopal, being much smaller than Jabalpur, has got 50 flights whereas we have only 9 flights at odd hours'. 

The intervention application further stated that such limited connectivity creates grave difficulties; 'Neither the litigants nor the Advocates can attend the hearing Before the Hon'ble Supreme Court and before the Delhi High Court or in various learned Tribunal at Delhi nor he can complete the work in Jabalpur when he reaches at 04:00 p.m., therefore, looking to the situation, the situation is very-very grave'.

Deputy Advocate General Vivek Sharma informed the court that the Directorate of Aviation had already issued a tender notice inviting applications from scheduled airline operators. 

Advocate Siddharth Sharma, appearing for Inter Globe Aviation Limited, sought time to place an affidavit on record as directed by the Court in the previous hearing.

In the last order of August 11, the court had directed Inter Globe Aviation Limited to "file an Affidavit (i) placing on record the census, if any, done with regard to viability of the flights; (ii) as to the data of number of passengers taking connecting flights from Jabalpur to Indore and onward Delhi and Bombay vice-versa i.e. Bombay, Delhi to Indore and direct connection to Jabalpur; (iii) Inter Globe Aviation Limited-respondent No.6 shall also file an Affidavit indicating as to whether it is possible to change the timing of the flight from a mid-day flight to an early morning or late evening flight so that business hours are saved by the people travelling on the said airline". 

Allowing the intervention application, the bench of Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf further directed,

"Learned Deputy Advocate General appearing for the State submits that the Directorate of Aviation, Government of Madhya Pradesh, has issued an RFP for the selection of scheduled operators for providing direct flight connectivity from airports in Madhya Pradesh to domestic and international destinations. Let copy of the RFP be circulated to learned counsel appearing for the petitioner as well as the respondents. Learned Counsel appearing for Inter Globe Aviation Limited prays for some more time to produce data as directed by the order dated 11 August 2025 and to take instructions on the RFP floated by the Directorate of Aviation. Renotify on 9 September 2025. The personal presence of the Additional Chief Secretary, Aviation, is dispensed with for the moment. Affidavit filed by the State pursuant to order dated August 11, 2025 be taken on record". 

In an earlier hearing of July 30, the court had expressed serious concerns over the lack of progress in the matter and pointed out the reduction in flights by Indigo as well as the expensive ticket rates charged by the airline. 

Accordingly, the court listed the matter for further hearing on September 9, 2025. 

Case Title: Nagrik Upbhokta Margdarshak Manch & Ors v. Union Of India & Ors, WP No. 14563 of 2024

For Petitioner: Advocate Dinesh Kumar Upadhyay 

For State: Deputy Advocate General Vivek Sharma 

For Airport Authority: Senior Advocate Anoop Nair and Advocate Mihir Linawat 

For Air India: Advocate Kunal Thakre 

For Inter Globe Aviation Limited: Advocate Siddharth Sharma

For Akasha Airlines: Advocates Vatsala Poddar and Shouryendra Ray