The Supreme Court on Friday raised serious concerns over sharp differences in airline ticket prices and urged the Centre to step in with measures that could bring relief to passengers struggling with soaring airfare costs.

Hearing a petition on fluctuating airfares and passenger rights, a bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta pointed to the wide variation in ticket prices charged by airlines operating on the same route on the same day.

“On the same day, flights to the same sector, one airline charges Rs 8000 while the other airline charges Rs 18000 for the economy class,” the bench observed while addressing Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Centre.

The court said there should be “some rationalisation” in airfare pricing and indicated that ordinary travellers were being burdened by unpredictable pricing practices.

The observations came during the hearing of a plea filed by social activist S Laxminarayanan, who has sought stronger regulation of India’s civil aviation sector. The petition demands an independent regulatory framework to ensure transparency in airfare pricing, passenger protection and oversight of additional charges imposed by private airlines.

The plea also challenges what it describes as “unpredictable fluctuations” in airline ticket prices and ancillary fees, especially during festivals, emergencies and periods of high demand.

During the hearing, the Centre informed the court that a new aviation law, the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, came into force in January 2025 and fresh rules under the law are currently being drafted through consultations.

Solicitor General Mehta told the court that the government acknowledged the issue and was examining all aspects in a “non-adversarial” manner.

Senior advocate Ravindra Srivastava, appearing for the petitioner, argued that the problem was not the absence of laws but the failure to enforce existing regulations under the Aircraft Act, 1937. He said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) already has powers to intervene if airlines engage in predatory or excessive pricing but has not exercised those powers effectively.

According to the petition, airlines have also reduced free baggage allowances for economy passengers from 25 kg to 15 kg without offering any fare reduction or compensatory benefits. It alleges that such moves have converted basic passenger services into additional revenue streams.

The plea claims airlines are operating in an “unregulated, opaque and exploitative” manner by using dynamic pricing systems that lead to arbitrary fare hikes and hidden charges. It further alleges that the absence of effective grievance redressal mechanisms and regulatory safeguards disproportionately affects poor passengers and last-minute travellers.

The bench posted the matter for hearing on July 13.

With PTI inputs