Supreme Court has not stayed the Meghalaya High Court order on operation of flights from Shillong

The Supreme Court has not stayed an order of the Meghalaya High Court which had directed the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Air carriers to arrive at a decision about the date on which flights will start operating from Umroi airport in Shillong..It has only stayed a portion of the order which mandated personal appearance of Aviation officials and officers of Airline carriers, in the event of non-compliance with its order..The Meghalaya High Court order of December 7 had directed the Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation to convene a meeting of all the responsible officers including officers of airliners and take a final decision as to the date from which flights will start operating from Umroi airport..The order stated,.“we are constrained to direct the Director General of Civil Aviation as well as the Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Chairman, AAI to hold a meeting. The Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation shall convene a meeting of all the said responsible officers and also the responsible officers of airliners and to take a final decision as to from which date flight will start operating from Umroi airport. The exercise shall be undertaken and completed positively without any fail within a period of seven days from today.”.The High Court had also ordered that in case of default in taking such decision, the Secretary of Civil Aviation and CEOs/CMDs of respective airlines shall have to remain personally present in the court to explain why the decision for operating flights for Umroi airport has not been taken..“In default in taking such decision, the Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Chairman AAI and CEOs/CMDs of the respective airliners shall have to remain personally present before this Court and to explain why decision for operating flights for Umroi airport has not been taken.”.This order was challenged in the Supreme Court by Airline carriers, Indigo and Spicejet and it came up for hearing on December 13. The Supreme Court issued notice in the appeals and stayed that portion of the order which had directed the personal appearance of the officials..“Issue notice in all the three Special Leave Petitions..Until further orders, order of personal appearance before the High Court shall remain stayed.”.This was misreported by media as a blanket stay on the order of the High Court..Subsequently, the matter came up for hearing in the High Court on December 14. On that date, the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) conveyed to the Court that a meeting as directed by the High Court was held on December 13. However, the meeting remained inconclusive because the airliners had sought six months’ time to enable them to take a decision regarding the operation of flights..The Court recorded the same in its order and directed the ASG to file a detailed status report with suggestion(s) for future course of action regarding the operation of flights from Umroi airport to metros. The Court also directed the airliners to file their affidavits. The matter will be heard by the High Court after the vacation now..Note: Earlier, Bar & Bench had reported that the order of the High Court had been stayed. That story has been pulled down. Error deeply regretted..Read the Meghalaya High Court order of December 7:.Read the Supreme Court order of December 13:.Read the Meghalaya High Court order of December 14: