A plea seeking regulatory guidelines to control unpredictable airfare and ancillary-charge fluctuations in India is scheduled to come up before the Supreme Court on Monday, September 7, with the Centre expected to provide an update on rules being framed under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024.
The matter is listed before a bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, according to the apex court’s cause list. The petition, filed by social activist S Laxminarayanan, seeks an independent regulator and stronger passenger-protection measures across the civil aviation sector.
The Centre told the Supreme Court on August 17 that it had fast-tracked the framing of rules under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, which came into effect in January 2025. The government said the rules would be finalised within three weeks and placed before the court. A draft had already been submitted to the bench in a sealed cover, with final discussions reportedly under way.
The court had asked the Centre to submit the rules during an earlier hearing on July 13, irrespective of whether they had been placed before Parliament. The proceedings follow earlier directions from the bench seeking responses from the Centre and other parties, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, on the petitioner’s concerns.
The petition challenges what it describes as unpredictable and excessive increases in airfares, particularly during festivals, as well as the absence of an authority with the power to review or cap fares and ancillary fees. During a hearing in January, the Supreme Court said it would intervene in the issue of unpredictable airfare increases and described sharp fare rises as exploitation, according to the report.
The petitioner has also raised concerns about changes to free check-in baggage allowances for economy-class passengers. The plea claims that private airlines have reduced the allowance from 25 kg to 15 kg and introduced a single-piece check-in condition, without providing a rebate or other benefit to passengers who do not use the full allowance.
Senior advocate Ravindra Srivastava, appearing for the petitioner, argued that existing rules continue to operate until the new framework comes into force. He questioned the effectiveness of the current regulatory mechanism and alleged that airlines were charging exorbitant fares. The Centre has sought time to finalise the new rules, which are expected to be considered as the court takes up the plea on September 7.
