SC asks Centre to curb airfare fluctuations

New Delhi, May 15: The Supreme Court of India on Friday called for rationalisation of airfares and asked the Centre to provide relief to passengers facing wide price variations.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta flagged discrepancies in ticket prices on the same routes, noting that fares ranged from Rs 8,000 to Rs 18,000 for economy class on the same day.

The court asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to explore measures to ease the burden on flyers. The Centre responded that it acknowledged the issue and was working on new rules under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, currently under consultation.

The observations came during hearing of a plea filed by activist S Laxminarayanan seeking an independent regulator to ensure transparency and curb unpredictable airfare fluctuations and ancillary charges by airlines.

The petitioner argued that existing provisions under the Aircraft Act, 1937 empower authorities to act against excessive pricing but are not being enforced. The Centre said updated regulations are being framed, while the consultation process is underway.

The court directed the petitioner to respond to the Centre’s affidavit and listed the matter for further hearing on July 13.

Earlier, the apex court had termed steep airfare hikes during peak seasons as “exploitation” and sought responses from the Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. (Agencies)