Supreme Court warns airlines to comply with airfare rules or face grounding

The Supreme Court of India has issued a stern warning to airlines, stating that flights could be grounded if they fail to comply with regulatory rules regarding airfares and ancillary charges. A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a public interest litigation filed by social activist S. Laxminarayanan, which alleges that private airlines engage in arbitrary pricing and exploit passengers through steep fare hikes, particularly during festivals and peak travel periods.

The Centre informed the court that it is fast-tracking the formulation of new rules under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024. These regulations are intended to address surge pricing, airfares, and excess baggage charges. The government has submitted a draft of these rules in a sealed cover and has committed to finalizing and notifying them within three weeks.

In the interim, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has been utilizing office memorandums to guide airline pricing, though petitioners argue these existing directions are being disregarded by carriers. The court has scheduled the next hearing for September 7.