India
oi-Prakash KL
The Supreme Court on Monday chose not to take up urgently a petition challenging the sharp rise in domestic airfares, after a lawyer told the court that ticket prices had increased by nearly 700 per cent.
The response from the bench was brief: “Don’t travel by air.”
The Supreme Court declined an urgent hearing on petitions concerning steep domestic airfare hikes, with one bench suggesting avoiding air travel if fares are high. New regulations stemming from the Bharatiya Vayuyan Niyam, 2026, effective January 1, 2027, will largely leave fare-setting to market forces, allowing government intervention only in extraordinary situations.
The exchange took place before a bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and Aparesh Kumar Singh. When the lawyer argued that air travel had become an essential service and that such steep fare increases violated Article 14, the bench declined to give the plea an urgent hearing.
The plea comes at a time when the Supreme Court is already examining whether airlines should face greater oversight over how they price tickets.
A separate petition by social activist S Laxminarayanan has raised concerns over sudden and steep changes in airfares, particularly during periods of high demand. It has called for an independent regulator and clearer safeguards for passengers, including checks on additional charges imposed by private airlines.
The court had taken note of the issue earlier this year. During a January hearing, it questioned the sharp rise in fares during festivals and indicated that it could intervene if passengers were being subjected to what it described as “exploitation”.
The Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) were subsequently asked to respond to the concerns.
The government later told the court that it had accelerated work on rules under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, which replaced the earlier aviation law and provides the broader legal framework for the sector.
At the October 16 hearing, the Centre said the new rules had received administrative approval and were expected to be notified shortly. The Supreme Court has asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to place the notified rules before it at the next hearing on November 16.
What will happen to airfares from 2027?
The government’s new framework does not introduce a routine cap on airline ticket prices.
The Bharatiya Vayuyan Niyam, 2026, which is scheduled to take effect from January 1, 2027, will continue to leave fare-setting largely to market forces. Airlines will generally remain free to determine ticket prices based on demand and other commercial factors.
There is, however, a provision for government intervention in an “extraordinary situation” if authorities believe action is necessary in the public interest.
That means passengers are unlikely to see a fixed government ceiling on airfares under the new system. Instead, the government will retain the power to intervene in exceptional circumstances.
With inputs from agencies
