The Supreme Court on Monday declined to grant urgent listing of a petition alleging that airfares had risen by nearly 700 per cent. During the hearing, the Bench remarked that the petitioner could avoid travelling by air.
The matter was mentioned by an advocate before a Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and Aparesh Kumar Singh, who was seeking an expedited hearing over the sharp increase in airline ticket prices.
When the advocate claimed that aviation fares had increased by 700 per cent, the Bench responded, “Don’t travel by air.”
The advocate maintained that air travel was an essential service and argued that the alleged fare increase violated Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law.
Separate Petition on Airfare Regulation Pending
The Supreme Court is already examining another petition concerning airline pricing practices, filed by social activist S Laxminarayanan.
That petition seeks the establishment of a strong and independent regulatory mechanism to ensure transparency and protect passengers in the civil aviation sector. It also calls for guidelines to address unpredictable changes in ticket prices and additional charges imposed by private airlines.
During the proceedings in January, the Supreme Court expressed concern over steep increases in airline fares, particularly during festivals. The Court described excessive fare hikes as exploitation and indicated that it would intervene in the issue of unpredictable airfare fluctuations.
It also directed the Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to submit their responses.
The petition had earlier prompted the Supreme Court to seek replies from the Central government and other parties in November last year.
Centre Working on Rules Under Aviation Law
The regulatory framework governing the aviation sector has also featured in the proceedings.
At the hearing on October 16, the Centre informed the Supreme Court that administrative approval had been granted for rules framed under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024. The government indicated that the rules were expected to be published within two weeks.
The Court subsequently directed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to place the notified rules before it at the next hearing, scheduled for November 16.
Earlier, on August 17, the Centre had informed the Court that it had accelerated the process of framing rules under the 2024 legislation, which is intended to modernise India’s aviation sector.
The separate petition concerning airfare fluctuations remains under consideration before the Supreme Court.
