'Don't travel by air': SC refuses urgent listing of plea against increased airfares during Diwali

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to grant an urgent hearing to a plea raising concerns over sharp increases in domestic airfares during the 2026 Diwali festive season and seeking directions to the government to establish a mechanism for regulating ticket prices on domestic routes during festival periods.

The petition also sought interim directions to impose fare caps for the ongoing festive season and the upcoming year-end holiday period. The plea was mentioned before a bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and Aparesh Singh, Live Law reported.

The petitioner's counsel, Advocate Abhinav, told the court that domestic airfares had surged to nearly seven times their usual levels, amounting to a 700% increase. He argued that air travel was an essential service and that such steep hikes violated Article 14 of the Constitution.

Responding to the submission, Justice Vikram Nath remarked, “Don't travel by air. Next case,” before declining to grant an urgent hearing.

The interlocutory application was filed by petitioner S. Laxminarayanan in connection with his pending Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging algorithm-driven dynamic pricing, sharp last-minute increases in airfares and additional charges levied by airlines.

As per the court's previous order, the PIL is scheduled to be heard on November 16, 2026.

The application, filed on October 30, seeks interim directions to impose fare caps during festive periods and restore the free checked-in baggage allowance in economy class to 25 kg.

Meanwhile, the Centre notified the Bharatiya Vayuyan Niyam, 2026, on November 1, following the Supreme Court's intervention in the same PIL. In January 2026, the court had taken cognisance of the issue after observing sharp and frequent increases in airfares during festivals and periods of high demand.

The newly notified rules are scheduled to come into force on January 1, 2027.

The Rules empower the Centre to issue directions to airlines regarding airfares if it deems regulatory intervention necessary in the public interest under extraordinary circumstances.

Rule 192 requires airlines operating scheduled services to fix ticket prices based on factors such as operational costs and submit details of their fare structures to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).