Passengers will now see where their money goesThe new rules say the fare breakup has to declare the charges for government fees and taxes separately from the airline’s own charges.
Published: November 2, 2026, 5:47 PM IST
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The apex court is already hearing a separate petition filed by social activist S LaxminarayananFile image/PTI
The Supreme Court’s advice on soaring airfares: don’t flyOn Monday, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and Aparesh Kumar Singh refused urgent listing of a plea alleging a nearly 700 per cent hike in fares, after an advocate mentioned it.
“The aviation fare has increased by 700 per cent,” the advocate said“Don’t travel by air,” the bench observedThe 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.
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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 weeksThe 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 sectorIn 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 festivalsIt 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.
New airfare rules give Centre power to intervene in ‘extraordinary situations’
The Centre has notified new airfare rules that allow it to issue temporary directions on airline tariffs in extraordinary situations, while leaving ticket prices without a standing capThe Bharatiya Vayuyan Niyam, 2026, published in the Official Gazette on October 31, will take effect on January 1, 2027.
Rule 192 permits the government to issue written directions in the public interest if it considers an extraordinary situation to have arisenAny such direction must be proportionate to the circumstances and remain valid only for a specified periodThe rule neither defines an extraordinary situation nor sets a numerical threshold for intervention.
The notification also does not require airlines to obtain prior government approval for individual faresIt contains no separate provision for routes served by a single airline or a formula for fixing fares based on competition.
