Supreme Court Dismisses Airfare Plea, Says 'Don't Travel by Air'

On November 2, 2026, India's Supreme Court refused to hear an urgent plea alleging a 700% surge in airfares, with Justice Vikram Nath telling the petitioner's counsel: "Don't travel by air. Next case." The court did not issue an order on the matter and proceeded directly to the next case. The counsel had argued that the steep rise in ticket prices violated Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law, and claimed air travel constitutes an essential service.

The dismissal comes as the government has notified new aviation rules under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, set to take effect January 1, 2027. Under these rules, airlines are granted freedom to set fares without prior government approval, though the Centre retains authority to issue directives in extraordinary circumstances deemed necessary in the public interest. The Centre informed the court that the published rules would be placed before the bench at its next hearing on November 16.

A separate petition by social activist S. Laxminarayanan, seeking an independent aviation regulator and guidelines to control "unpredictable fluctuations" in fares, remains under Supreme Court consideration. In January 2026, the court had flagged exorbitant festival-season fare hikes as "exploitation" and directed the Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to file responses. The ruling comes amid sustained pressure on fares from rising aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices, which increased from ₹137.12 to ₹138.50 per litre in Delhi, marking the fourth consecutive month of increases. Airlines including Air India and IndiGo have recently imposed fuel surcharges of up to ₹1,200 on domestic and ₹17,800 on international flights.