World · India Bureau
Supreme Court dismisses urgent plea against steep airline fare increases
India's Supreme Court has refused to urgently hear a petition challenging what the petitioner claimed were exorbitant airline fare hikes, advising citizens to avoid air travel if concerned about costs.
LSN India ·
The Supreme Court of India declined to grant an urgent listing to a petition alleging that domestic airline fares have surged by as much as 700 percent, effectively dismissing the plea's request for immediate judicial intervention.
The court's response came with an informal suggestion to citizens that they could simply opt out of air travel if they found ticket prices prohibitively expensive. The remarks reflected the bench's apparent view that the matter did not warrant urgent consideration or constitute grounds for immediate relief.
The petition had sought intervention into what the petitioner characterized as unreasonable and exploitative fare increases by airlines operating in India's competitive aviation market. However, the court's refusal to entertain the urgent listing means the plea will not receive prioritized hearing in the near term.
The decision underscores the judiciary's reluctance to intervene in commercial pricing decisions made by private airlines, leaving consumers with limited legal recourse against steep fare increases during peak travel periods or supply constraints.