Supreme Court Flags ‘Exploitation’ Over Steep Airfare Hikes During Festivals, Seeks Govt, DGCA Response
Airfare Hikes During Festivals ‘Unacceptable’: Supreme Court Issues Notice: The Supreme Court on Monday expressed serious concern over the sharp and unpredictable rise in airfares during festivals and periods of bad weather, terming such increases as “exploitation” of passengers. The top court said it would intervene to curb wild fluctuations in ticket prices and asked the Centre and the aviation regulator to respond to the issue.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued notices to the Central Government and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking binding regulatory guidelines to control erratic airfare pricing by private airlines.
During the hearing, Justice Nath told Additional Solicitor General Anil Kaushik, who was representing the Centre, “We will definitely intervene. Just look at how passengers are exploited during the Kumbh Mela and other festivals. Look at the fares from Delhi to Prayagraj and Jodhpur.”
SC Warns Airlines Over Steep Fare Hikes, Seeks Regulatory Action
Justice Sandeep Mehta, in a lighter remark to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was present in the courtroom, said that while airfares to Ahmedabad may not have increased significantly, fares to destinations like Jodhpur had risen sharply.
The bench allowed the Centre time to file its response and posted the matter for further hearing on February 23.
The petition, filed by social activist S. Lakshminarayanan, seeks the establishment of a strong and independent regulator for the civil aviation sector to ensure transparency, passenger safety, and fair pricing. The plea highlights the absence of effective regulatory safeguards, which it claims allows airlines to impose arbitrary fare hikes, especially during festivals and weather-related disruptions.
The petitioner has also raised concerns over airlines reducing free check-in baggage allowance for economy class passengers from 25 kg to 15 kg without any justification, effectively converting a basic service into a revenue-generating measure. It further points out that the policy of allowing only one piece of check-in baggage, without offering any discount or compensation to passengers who do not use the facility, is arbitrary and discriminatory.
According to the petition, airlines engage in opaque and exploitative practices such as unfair dynamic pricing algorithms, unilateral service reductions, lack of ground-level grievance redressal, and sudden fare surges, which allegedly violate passengers’ fundamental rights to equality, freedom of movement, and a dignified life.
The plea urges the Supreme Court to frame or direct the framing of regulations to monitor airfare hikes and prevent unreasonable price increases driven purely by demand, which disproportionately affect poor and last-minute travelers.
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