Centre tells Supreme Court that airfare pricing rules are finalised and will be published within two weeks

17 October 2026

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court on 16 October 2026 that rules regulating airfare pricing have been finalised and have received administrative approval, and will be published within two weeks.
The bench of Justice Vikram Nath, Justice R. Mahadevan and Justice Aparesh Singh listed the matter for 16 November 2026 and directed that the published rules be placed before it by then.
The case is S. Laxminarayanan v. Union of India, W.P.(C) No. 1124/2025, a public interest petition on excessive airfares charged by private airlines.
The Centre had given the Court a draft of the rules in a sealed cover on 17 August; the Court examined it, returned it, and the Centre then sought three weeks to finalise.
The rules are expected to address airfare pricing, surge pricing and excess baggage charges.
The petition challenges algorithm-based dynamic pricing, steep short-notice fare increases, and the reduction of free check-in baggage from 25 kg to 15 kg.