THE Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea seeking regulatory guidelines to control the “unpredictable fluctuations” in airfare and ancillary charges imposed by private airlines in India. As per the apex court’s cause list of September 7, the matter would be heard by a bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta. On August 17, the Centre had told the top court that it has fast-tracked the framing of rules under the B h a r a t i y a V a y u y a n A d h i n i y a m , 2024, which is aimed at modernising India’s aviation sector, and the same would be finalised within three weeks.

 

The Government had placed the draft rules beforethe bench in a sealed cover and said some final discussions were going on. The apex courthad noted that Additional Solicitor General Anil Kaushik, appearing for the Centre, sought three-week time to get the draft rules finalised and place it before the court. The top court is hearing a plea filed by social activist S Laxminarayanan, who has sought a robust and independent regulator that ensures transparency and passenger protection across the civil aviation sector and regulatory guidelines to control the “unpredictable fluctuations” in airfare and ancillary charges imposed by private airlines in India.