The Supreme Court on Friday observed that there is a need to rationalise airfares and urged the Centre to consider measures to provide relief to air travellers.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta noted the wide disparity in ticket prices charged by airlines operating on the same route on a given day. The court pointed out that while one airline may offer a ticket at a particular fare, another carrier flying the same sector often charges a significantly different amount.
"Try to give some relief to the people because of the discrepancy. On the same day, flights to the same sector, one airline charges Rs 8000 while the other airline charges Rs 18000 for the economy class," the bench told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre.
Justice Mehta said, "There should be some rationalisation (of airfares)" after the solicitor general said that a new enactment of 2024 has come into effect and the corresponding rules are in the process of consultation.
Mehta said the government was not disputing the problem and is treating the issue as non-adversarial and considering all aspects.
The bench was hearing a plea filed by social activist S Laxminarayanan, who sought a robust and independent regulator that ensures transparency and passenger protection across the civil aviation sector and regulatory guidelines to control the "unpredictable fluctuations" in airfare and ancillary charges imposed by private airlines in India.
Senior advocate Ravindra Srivastava, appearing for Laxminarayanan submitted that rules are already there under the Aircraft Act of 1937 but the problem is that they were not followed.
Mehta agreed that old rules are in place but new ones being formulated under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam of 2024 that came into effect in January, 2025.
15/05/2026 New Indian Express
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