In a country where air travel has steadily transformed from a luxury to a lifeline, millions of passengers now depend on flights for urgent family visits, medical emergencies, education and work. But along with the convenience has come a growing anxiety familiar to frequent flyers: ticket prices that soar overnight and add-on charges that quietly inflate the final bill.
Responding to these concerns, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Monday that the issue of volatile airfares and airline fee practices is under active review at the highest levels of government.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a public interest litigation that challenged what it described as “opaque, exploitative and algorithm-driven” pricing practices in India’s civil aviation sector. The petition also questioned the reduction in complimentary check-in baggage allowances by airlines.
Govt seeks 4 weeks to respond
Additional Solicitor General Anil Kaushik told the court, “The Solicitor General has also called a meeting. We have taken the matter to the highest level. We are in discussion with the highest authority. Four weeks’ time may be granted, and we will come up with a counter.”
Taking note of the Centre’s request, the apex court granted four weeks for filing a response and listed the matter for further hearing on March 23.
SC calls it a ‘very serious concern’
During the proceedings, the bench observed that sharp fare variations and the imposition of multiple add-on charges during festivals, holidays and emergencies raised a matter of “very serious concern”.
“This is a very serious concern. Otherwise, we don’t entertain Article 32 petitions,” the court remarked.
The court also declined a request from the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) to be impleaded in the case, noting that the government would consult industry stakeholders before arriving at any policy decision. The bench indicated that the Ministry would be free to constitute a committee and engage airlines as part of the consultation process.
Petition filed in November 2025
The matter began from a petition filed in November 2025 by social activist S Laxminarayanan. The plea argued that air travel, recognised as an essential service under the Essential Services Maintenance Act, has become increasingly unaffordable due to “unregulated, unpredictable and exploitative” fare mechanisms.
It highlighted instances where fares doubled or tripled within hours during festivals, emergencies or peak seasons. The petition also challenged the reduction in complimentary check-in baggage from 25 kg to 15 kg, alleging that airlines are converting a previously included service into an additional revenue source through excess baggage fees.
The plea termed these practices arbitrary and violative of the right to life under Article 21. It sought directions to the Centre to frame a regulatory framework or set up an independent aviation tariff regulator to monitor airfare structures, ensure compliance and address passenger grievances.