SC says 'don't travel by air', refuses urgent hearing on airfare hike plea

Don't travel by air, the Supreme Court told a petitioner on Monday while refusing urgent listing of a plea alleging nearly 700 per cent increase in airfares.

An advocate mentioned the matter for urgent listing before a bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and Aparesh Kumar Singh.

"The aviation fare has increased by 700 per cent," the advocate said.

"Don't travel by air," the bench observed.

The advocate then said air travel is an essential service. "It's a violation of Article 14." Article 14 of the Constitution deals with equality before law.

The apex court is already hearing a separate petition filed by social activist S Laxminarayanan, who has sought a robust and independent regulator that ensures transparency and passenger protection across the civil aviation sector and regulatory guidelines to control "unpredictable fluctuations" in airfare and ancillary charges imposed by private airlines in India.

During a hearing on that plea on October 16, the Centre informed the top court that administrative approval has been granted to rules under a 2024 legislation aimed at regulating India's aviation sector, and is likely to be published in two weeks.

The apex court had asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to place the published rules under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, before the court on the next date of hearing -- November 16.

On August 17, the Centre told the top court that it had fast-tracked the framing of rules under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, aimed at modernising India's aviation sector.

In November last year, the top court sought responses from the Centre and others on Laxminarayanan's plea.

While hearing the matter in January, the top court had said it would interfere with the "unpredictable fluctuations" in airfares and flagged the exorbitant rise during festivals.

It had termed the exorbitant hike of fares by airlines "exploitation" and asked the Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to file their replies on the plea.