India
Supreme Court refuses urgent hearing on 700% fares
The Hindu·
The Supreme Court on November 2, 2026 refused urgent listing of a plea alleging a nearly 700 percent airfare rise. An advocate mentioned the matter before Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and Aparesh Kumar Singh. When told fares had risen 700 percent, the Bench said, "Don't travel by air." A separate aviation regulation petition remains listed for November 16.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Travellers seeking an emergency court check on festival fares did not get an urgent listing.
- The separate Laxminarayanan petition still seeks clearer airfare regulation.
- Published rules under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, are due before the court on November 16.
What's Happening
- The advocate called air travel an essential service and cited Article 14.
- On October 16, the Centre said administrative approval had been granted to aviation rules.
- Solicitor General Tushar Mehta was asked to place the published rules on record.
The parallel airfare case
- Social activist S. Laxminarayanan sought an independent regulator and guidelines on fare swings.
- In January the court flagged exorbitant festival fare rises and sought replies from the Centre and DGCA.
- The Centre said in August it had fast-tracked rules under the 2024 aviation law.
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