Supreme Court of India Refuses Urgent Airfare Hike Plea

The Supreme Court of India refused the urgent listing of a petition on Monday alleging that airfares had increased by nearly 700 percent. During the proceedings, an advocate argued that the price hikes violated Article 14 of the Constitution and characterized air travel as an essential service. A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and Aparesh Kumar Singh dismissed the urgency of the plea, responding to the petitioner by saying, "Don't travel by air."

This refusal comes as the court continues to consider a separate petition filed by social activist S Laxminarayanan, who is seeking the establishment of an independent regulator to stop unpredictable fare fluctuations. The court has previously requested the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to file replies regarding the exploitation of passengers through these price increases.

In response to the ongoing legal scrutiny, the Government of India has granted administrative approval for rules under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta is scheduled to present these published rules to the court during the next hearing on November 16.