Relief for flyers? The SC asks the center to submit the ticket regulation rules within 2 weeks | Today’s news

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Center to place within two weeks a copy of the rules laid down for regulation of air tickets under Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam 2024, according to the Bar and Bench.

The center’s legal representative informed the committee that the draft rules had already been prepared and were currently undergoing the translation process. He further said that the rules must be submitted to Parliament, according to PTI.

A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta ordered that the rules be placed before the court in a sealed envelope, irrespective of whether they have already been tabled in Parliament.

The direction came during the hearing of a petition filed by social activist S Laxminarayanan, who sought the creation of a strong and independent aviation regulator to ensure greater transparency and protect the interests of passengers in the civil aviation sector. The plea also seeks regulatory measures to curb “unpredictable fluctuations” in fares and ancillary fees charged by private airlines in India.

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“We give two weeks to the respondents to submit to this court in a sealed envelope the rules that have been framed, irrespective of the fact whether they are presented to the Houses of Parliament,” the court observed, according to a PTI report.

Senior advocate Ravindra Srivastava, representing Laxminarayanan, mentioned that the existing rules will remain in force until the new regulations are notified and come into effect.

Srivastava highlighted concerns about “exorbitant fares” being charged and told the court, “The solution is that this court must consider the existence of a robust and effective regulatory mechanism that is independent.”

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The bench scheduled the next hearing of the matter for August 3.

What did SC say about the tickets earlier?

During an earlier hearing on May 15, the Supreme Court observed that the air tickets required some degree of rationalization and asked the Center to take steps to provide relief to passengers.

In this hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, informed the bench that the 2024 legislation came into force in January 2025 and that rules were being prepared under it.

The Supreme Court had on November 17 last year asked the Center and other parties to respond to Laxminarayanan’s petition seeking a strong and independent regulator to ensure transparency and protect the interests of passengers in the civil aviation sector.

On February 23, the Center informed the apex court that the Ministry of Civil Aviation was actively looking into the concerns highlighted in the plea.

During a hearing in January, the Supreme Court said it would look into the issue of “unpredictable fluctuations” in ticket prices and expressed concern over the sharp increase in fares during festival periods.

The Supreme Court termed the steep increase in ticket prices by airlines as “exploitation” and directed the Center and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to submit their replies to the petition.

“Arbitrary Fare Increases, Unilateral Service Restrictions”

The petition alleged that private airlines have reduced the free checked baggage limit for economy class passengers from 25 kg to 15 kg without any valid reason, “converting what was previously included in ticket prices into a new revenue stream”.

He further stated that “the new policy of only allowing one piece for check-in and the absence of any discount, compensation or benefit for passengers who do not use checked-in baggage demonstrates the arbitrary and discriminatory nature of the measure”.

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The plea also argued that there is currently no regulatory body empowered to examine or impose limits on airfares and surcharges, allowing airlines to impose hidden fees and engage in unpredictable pricing practices at the expense of consumers.

He also mentioned the “unregulated, non-transparent and exploitative behavior of airlines, manifested in arbitrary price increases, unilateral service curtailment, lack of on-the-spot redressal of complaints and unjustified dynamic pricing algorithms, which directly violates citizens’ fundamental rights to equality, freedom of movement and a dignified life”.

He argued that the lack of regulatory controls led to arbitrary hikes in ticket prices, especially during holidays and weather-related disturbances, adversely affecting economically weaker passengers and those forced to make last-minute travel arrangements.

She further argued that the government’s failure to regulate fare-setting algorithms, cancellation norms, service continuity and complaint-handling systems constituted a failure of its constitutional duties and required immediate court intervention.

The cause of action also argued that there were no regulations preventing airlines from raising fares based on demand, and giving such unlimited discretion to basic service was unreasonable.