Madras HC Asks Aviation Ministry to Review Plea for Mandatory Tamil Announcements on Flights

The Madras High Court has directed the Ministry of Civil Aviation to make announcements in Tamil mandatory on all domestic flights operating to and from airports in Tamil Nadu.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice D. Krishnakumar and Justice K. Kumaresh Babu was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by C. Kanagaraj, President of the World Tamil Research Trust, who requested that Tamil announcements be made compulsory on all flights departing from the state’s airports.

The bench noted that the courts could not issue a positive directive as sought in the PIL.

It further stated that the Central government could only be directed to consider the representation made by the litigant within a period of 12 weeks.

Bhopal’s Raja Bhoj Airport has experienced significant fluctuations in flight movements over the past seven years. The airport saw a peak in 2019-20, followed by a sharp decline due to the pandemic. However, recovery began in 2021-22 and continued through 2023-24. Director Ramjee Awasthi emphasized that infrastructure upgrades will be crucial as air travel demand grows.

The first division bench issued such a direction and disposed of the PIL petition, which had been pending since 2021.

The petitioner had argued that announcements in Tamil were already being made in foreign countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. He questioned why such announcements could not be made mandatory on all domestic flights operating to and from Tamil Nadu.

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