The Supreme Court has voiced concern over private airlines sharply increasing ticket prices during festival and holiday periods, with fares reportedly rising by as much as 300%. The court noted that such spikes place a heavy burden on ordinary travellers.
The observations came while hearing a petition filed by S. Lakshminarayanan, seeking measures to curb excessive pricing. A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta questioned why there are wide fare differences between flights operating on the same route and urged that some form of relief be ensured for the public.
The bench also remarked that regulating airfare has become a necessity of the times. Appearing for the Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024 has already come into force and that work is underway to frame new rules after consultations with stakeholders.
Counsel for the petitioner argued that even under existing laws, the DGCA has powers to control excessive fares but has not exercised them, calling the issue urgent due to repeated holiday-season spikes. The court granted time to the petitioner to respond to the DGCA’s affidavit and adjourned the matter to July 13.
