Proposed rules on flight ticket pricing and carrier-added fees passed through the regulatory review stage, a government official informed the court on Friday, with an assurance that the finished framework would be published in the official gazette within two weeks.

Three justices — Vikram Nath, R. Mahadevan, and Aparesh Kumar Singh — received a submission from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was representing the Centre, and in response ordered that the notified rules be produced before the bench at the forthcoming hearing. A date of 16 November was set by the bench for the case to be taken up again.

A public interest litigation lodged by social activist S. Laxminarayanan forms the basis of the proceedings, with his petition putting two concerns before the court: fare-setting methods in civil aviation that he contends rely on non-transparent algorithmic systems, and a rollback in the complimentary baggage allowance extended to air travellers.

Ticket price volatility on domestic routes — particularly around public holidays, festival periods, and other high-demand windows — along with ancillary fees collected by carriers, has drawn scrutiny from the Supreme Court. At a prior proceeding, the bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath put forward oral observations calling for some degree of "rationalisation" in the fares levied by private carriers, while also calling on the central government to look into measures that would ease the burden on air travellers, including a suggestion that some form of relief be extended to the public.

For an identical route departing on the same date, economy-class fares quoted by two carriers can differ by as much as Rs 10,000 — with one priced at Rs 8,000 and another at Rs 18,000. The bench noted that some degree of consolidation would be necessary.

Prior to the apex court's hearing, the Union government had placed on record that regulatory provisions under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, were in the process of being drafted to tackle passenger grievances over ticket pricing and ancillary fees charged by airlines. Counsel for the government told the apex court that matters raised through the PIL — among them airline ticket pricing, demand-based fare increases, and fees levied on excess baggage — were receiving attention at the highest levels of administration.

According to the petition, abrupt fare hikes tied to emergencies, public holidays, and high-demand travel windows place a financial strain on those with pressing needs — whether for medical appointments, schooling, or work obligations. A cut to the complimentary baggage allowance — dropping from 25 kg down to 15 kg — has drawn objections as well, with travellers said to be facing extra fees for provisions that once came bundled into the fare.

Among the remedies put forward, the filing calls for either a dedicated regulatory body to govern aviation pricing or a broader statutory framework — one equipped to track fare compliance, set tariff structures, and handle complaints raised by travellers.