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Indian government asked to resolve air fare hikes during holidays
Petitions have been filed to regulate domestic airfares during peak travel season. International fares covering India-Gulf and other parts of the world not included
- PUBLISHED: Tue 24 Feb 2026, 3:58 PM
Domestic air travellers in India are hoping the government will come out with a solution that will result in a more stable airfare structure, especially during ‘peak’ travel season.
This comes after the Indian Supreme Court asked the central government on Monday to provide a formal response within four weeks to the “very serious concern” of sharp fluctuations in domestic airfares and ancillary charges imposed by private airlines.
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Airfares in India’s domestic sector flare up during long weekend breaks or during school vacations, when many families can plan a brief holiday within the country. But they find it impossible to pay the high fares, which can go up several times the normal ones because of the sudden surge in demand.
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The Indian Supreme Court, the government and various passenger bodies are hammering out a solution that will result in a more stable airfare structure, particularly during the ‘peak’ travel season.
Anil Kaushik, the additional solicitor general told the court that the Indian government was examining the issue “at the highest level” and sought time for a detailed response. “We have taken the matter to the highest level,” Kaushik told the court. “We are in discussion with the highest authorities,” he said, seeking an elaborate response in four weeks’ time. The court adjourned the matter, scheduling the next hearing for March 23.
Domestic airfares only
But the petition relates only to domestic airfares in India, not to international fares covering India-Gulf and other parts of the world. Some NRI bodies had tried to raise the issue of high fares that NRIs from the Gulf had to pay for travel to and from India in 2023, but the courts have refused to intervene.
A division bench of the Kerala high court had earlier directed the Kerala Pravasi Association (KPA) to take up the matter with the Competition Commission of India. The KPA is opposed to “the unreasonable airfares” which impacted travellers to and from the Gulf.
S. Laxminarayanan, a social activist and frequent air traveller has filed the latest case in the Supreme Court, seeking judicial intervention to curb “unchecked, opaque and exploitative” airfare practices by private airlines in India. According to his plea, aviation services come under the Essential Services Maintenance Act, but passengers are overcharged under the pretext of dynamic pricing.
The plea also referred to the cutting in free baggage allowance from 25kg to 15kg, and the imposition of steep excess baggage fees. It urged the government and regulators to formulate binding norms on airfares, limits on surge pricing, regulate baggage and add-on fees, and set up an independent aviation watchdog to protect consumer rights.
The petitioner told the court that the new systems disproportionately affect the poor and the middle-class, many of who book air tickets at the last minute because of medical emergencies or other such reasons.
Earlier, the court had acknowledged some of the complaints, noting that during hugely popular festivals, airlines jack up rates sharply. “Take the statistics for two towns, Prayagraj and Jodhpur -- the flight fares are three times the flight fares before the festivals,” pointed out the court.
