The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Union government to place before it a copy of the rules framed to regulate airfares in India while hearing a petition seeking measures to curb arbitrary and excessive fluctuations in airline ticket prices.
The Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta passed the direction after the Centre informed the Court that the proposed rules had already been finalised and would be placed before both Houses of Parliament within the stipulated period.
Taking note of the submission, the Bench directed the government to produce the rules before the Court within two weeks, irrespective of whether they had been tabled in Parliament.
The petition, filed by S Laxminarayanan, seeks directions to the Union government and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to formulate a comprehensive regulatory framework governing airfare pricing. It also seeks measures to cap surge pricing, regulate baggage and ancillary charges, prescribe uniform norms for ticket cancellation and refunds, and establish an independent aviation regulator to safeguard consumer interests.
The issue had earlier drawn strong observations from the Supreme Court during the hearing on January 21, when the Bench expressed concern over what it described as exploitative airfare practices adopted by airlines during festivals and large public events.
Flagging the steep hike in ticket prices during the festival, Justice Sandeep Mehta criticised the authorities by highlighting the exploitation that took place during the Kumbh Mela.
Justice Vikram Nath had added that the problem was not confined to a single event but extended to almost every festive season. The Bench had also noted that airfares to cities such as Prayagraj and Jodhpur had increased nearly threefold during major religious and festive occasions.
The Union government had subsequently informed the Court that the issue was receiving consideration at the highest policy-making levels. With the Centre now stating that the regulatory framework has been finalised, the Supreme Court will examine the proposed rules when the matter is taken up for further hearing on August 3.
The post Supreme Court seeks airfare regulation rules from Centre amid concerns over surge pricing appeared first on India Legal.