India's Supreme Court was informed on Friday that rules governing airline fares and additional charges have been finalised and will be published within two weeks. The development arises from a PIL challenging opaque and algorithm-driven pricing in the civil aviation sector, with the matter scheduled for further hearing on November 16.
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Counsel appearing before the Supreme Court of India on Friday disclosed that a framework governing airfare levels and ancillary charges levied by carriers had cleared both the drafting and administrative approval stages, with government representatives committing to gazette publication within a fortnight.
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 following hearing. A date of 16 November was set by the court for the case to be taken up again.
At the centre of the case sits a public interest litigation brought by S. Laxminarayanan, a social activist who has contested what he describes as non-transparent, exploitative, and algorithm-driven fare structures within the civil aviation industry, along with a rollback in the complimentary baggage allowance extended to travellers.
Ticket pricing that swings unpredictably around holidays, festive periods, and other high-demand travel windows — along with a range of add-on fees charged by carriers — has drawn scrutiny from the Supreme Court. At a prior hearing, the bench led by Justice Vikram Nath had voiced the view that some form of fare adjustment by private carriers was warranted, and it called on the central government to take steps that would ease the burden on those travelling by air, adding that passengers deserved tangible relief.
For an identical route on the same date, economy-class fares between two carriers can differ by Rs 10,000 — with one pricing a ticket at Rs 8,000 and another listing the same seat at Rs 18,000. The bench noted that some degree of consolidation would be necessary.
Prior to the apex court proceedings, the Union government had disclosed that regulatory rules under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, were in the process of being drafted to tackle issues around ticket pricing and ancillary fees charged by airlines. Responding to the public interest petition, the government informed the country's top court that matters flagged in the filing — among them airline ticket pricing, demand-based fare increases, and fees for extra luggage — were under active review at the ministerial level.
According to the petition, abrupt fare hikes tied to emergencies, public festivals, and high-demand travel windows place a disproportionate burden on those whose journeys are driven by medical appointments, schooling, or work obligations. A separate concern raised involves the drop in complimentary checked baggage from 25 kg down to 15 kg, with travellers said to be facing extra fees for provisions that once came bundled into the fare.
Among the requests put forward in the petition is a call for either a structured regulatory regime governing airfare pricing or a dedicated independent body empowered to set tariff benchmarks, track industry compliance, and handle complaints raised by travellers.