New aviation rules are on the way, the Centre has told the Supreme Court, which has listed the Airfare Regulation PIL for November 16 and asked that the published rules be placed before it by then.
New Delhi: Hearing a public interest litigation that alleges arbitrary and exorbitant airfare pricing by private airlines, the Supreme Court on Friday, October 16, heard Solicitor General Tushar Mehta say that the rules had been finalised, administrative approval had been granted and the rules would be published within two weeks. The Court listed the matter for November 16 [S. Laxminarayanan v. Union of India and Others].
A Bench including Justice Vikram Nath took up the matter. Along with Justice Sandeep Mehta, he has been hearing the PIL since notice was issued earlier this year.
“Why does it take one and a half years?”
Counsel for the petitioner questioned how long the Centre was taking to deal with airfare pricing, telling the Bench:
“Airfares are soaring sky-high. why does it take one and a half years?”
The petitioner’s case was that the existing aviation rules stay operative while the new ones are framed, and that they call for fares to be regulated. He submitted that air travel is an essential service and that the issue affects the public at large, adding, “It is affecting everybody, my lord.”
Justice Vikram Nath observed that the same submission had been made at every hearing. The petitioner maintained that ordinary travellers continue to be hurt and that the problem needs urgent attention.
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What the PIL seeks
Filed by social activist S. Laxminarayanan, the PIL asks for an independent regulator for civil aviation and binding guidelines to check sudden swings in airfares and in the ancillary charges levied by private airlines. It states that no authority at present has the power to review or cap fares or ancillary fees, and it questions the cut in free check-in baggage for economy passengers from 25 kg to 15 kg.
Earlier hearings
The Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta described steep fare hikes during festivals as exploitation of passengers in January 2026, and sought responses from the Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The Union later told the Court that the issue was being examined at the highest level, and in April the Bench questioned the delay in filing an affidavit. On July 13, the Centre said draft rules under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024 were ready and being translated. The Court asked for the framed rules to be placed before it in a sealed cover within two weeks, whether or not they had been laid before Parliament.
The rules, and the next date
The Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024 replaced the Aircraft Act, 1934 and empowers the Centre to frame rules for civil aviation. The PIL wants the Court to push the Union to put an enforceable mechanism in place against what it calls opaque and exploitative pricing. For now the Court has kept the matter pending while the Union finalises its rules, and it will look at them once they are on record on November 16.
Case Title: S. Laxminarayanan v. Union of India and Others (PIL on airfare regulation)
Bench: Bench led by Justice Vikram Nath, Supreme Court of India
Date of Hearing: October 16, 2026
Next Date: November 16, 2026
Appearances: Solicitor General Tushar Mehta for the Union of India; counsel for the petitioner