Supreme Court Raises Concern Over Exorbitant Airfare Increases During Festivals

The Supreme Court expressed concern over unpredictable and exorbitant rises in airfares during festivals and peak travel periods, describing such fluctuations as exploitative. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta directed the Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to respond to a PIL seeking binding regulatory guidelines to control airfare and ancillary charges by private airlines. The court highlighted sharp fare hikes during events like the Kumbh and scheduled further hearings for February 23.