Plea alleges 700% airfare rise; SC says 'Don't fly'
What's the story
The Supreme Court has refused to urgently list a plea challenging the steep rise in domestic airfares during the Diwali festive season. The plea, filed by S Laxminarayanan, seeks directions to cap airfares during festival periods and restore free checked baggage allowance in economy class to 25kg. The application was mentioned before a bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice Aparesh Singh on Monday.
Court's dismissal
Plea violates Article 14: Justice Nath
Advocate Abhinav, representing the petitioner, argued that aviation fares have skyrocketed to 700% of normal rates.
He contended this violates Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality before law.
However, Justice Nath dismissed the plea, saying, "Don't travel by air. Next case," without agreeing to list it for an urgent hearing.
Airfare disparities
Fares on major domestic routes surged 2 to 7 times
The petitioner's application highlights that fares on major domestic routes surged two to seven times ahead of Diwali.
It cites a Hindustan report dated October 29, stating a Delhi-Kolkata ticket costing ₹10,000-₹11,000 normally soared to ₹78,694 for travel on November 6.
The petitioner also pointed out huge fare differences between flights on the same route and day.
It said a Bengaluru-Delhi flight departing at 5:00am on November 6 was available for ₹15,901, whereas a 3:45pm flight was priced at ₹40,506.
Fare justification
Airlines can't justify fare hikes by citing aviation turbine fuel
The application argues that airlines can't justify such fare hikes by citing aviation turbine fuel costs, as flights on the same route and day consume similar fuel.
"The airlines attribute such fares to the cost of aviation turbine fuel... It does not bear scrutiny," it states.
The petitioner contends that fares set mainly by demand allow airlines to exploit passengers during festivals and peak periods.
Temporary relief
Petitioner urges Union government, aviation authorities to frame mechanism
The petitioner sought directions for the Union Government and aviation authorities to frame a mechanism to cap domestic airfares during festival periods.
Until such a mechanism is in place, he has sought temporary limits on economy fares during the current festive and year-end travel periods.
The application also seeks restoration of the free checked baggage allowance from 15kg to 25kg during festival periods.