The Supreme Court on Friday (May 15, 2026) urged the Union government to examine measures for the “rationalisation” of airfares, pointing to the stark disparity in ticket prices charged by different airlines for the same route on a single day.
A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a public interest litigation filed by social activist S. Laxminarayan seeking the formulation of binding regulatory norms to address arbitrary airfare pricing and ancillary charges imposed by private airlines during festive periods, holidays, and emergencies.
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Appearing for the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Union government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, has already come into force and that rules under the new legislation are presently at the consultation stage.
“There’s a new Act that has come into force... The rules are in the process of consultation. We will consider all the aspects,” Mr. Mehta submitted.









