Sky-high airfares: Govt to publish new rules within 2 weeks, Centre tells Supreme Court

Air travel across the nation could soon see greater oversight as the government prepares to rollout framed rules to tackle unbridled ticket prices. The development came to light today during a Supreme Court hearing on a petition challenging arbitrary and exorbitant airfare pricing by private airlines.

Appearing for the Union of India, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed a bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath, Justice R Mahadevan, and Justice Aparesh Singh that administrative approval for the rules has been granted. He assured the apex court that the new regulations would be officially published within two weeks.

Taking note of the submission, the court directed that the matter be listed for further hearing on November 16, ordering the government to place the published rules before it by that date.

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The petition highlights growing public frustration over soaring airfares, which the petitioner argued remain completely unchecked. Seeking to make a final submission before the bench, the petitioner pointed out that airfares are continuing to rise sharply despite ongoing scrutiny.

“The newspapers are reporting, every newspaper is reporting, the air fare hike is soaring high, my lord, sky high, because it is totally unregulated,” the petitioner argued, emphasising that air travel has become an essential service impacting the general public at large.

In a direction on August 18, the Supreme Court had directed the Centre to ground airlines if they do not comply with its orders on airfares in India. The court expressed concern over the unchecked rise in ticket prices during peak travel periods.

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A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said stringent action could follow if private carriers failed to adhere to regulatory norms. The remarks came during the hearing of a plea challenging the alleged arbitrary fixing of fares by private airlines.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Kaushik had said that the exercise would be completed within three weeks and the final rules would be submitted to the court. The government also provided a draft of the proposed rules in a sealed cover. The court accepted the request for time and listed the matter for hearing on September 7.

Reacting to the news, shares of Interglobe Aviation, which operates India's largest no frills carrier IndiGo slipped by 1.99% to Rs 4,683.20 at 12:40 pm.

How many airlines are there in India

India’s commercial aviation market is dominated by five major mainline carriers, led by IndiGo, full-service flag carrier Air India, low-cost operator Air India Express, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet. Following significant industry consolidation — most notably the merger of Vistara into Air India and AIX Connect into Air India Express — the mainline sector is largely controlled by IndiGo and the Tata Group.

In addition to these nationwide operators, around 5 to 7 active regional and commuter airlines expand connectivity to Tier-2 and Tier-3 hubs, including government-owned Alliance Air alongside Star Air, Fly91, IndiaOne Air, and FlyBig.

Outside scheduled passenger travel, India's aviation infrastructure is further rounded out by dedicated cargo airlines like Blue Dart Aviation, as well as several non-scheduled private charter operators.