Overview
- Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court on Friday that rules framed under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024 have received administrative approval and will be published within two weeks.
- The court ordered the Centre to place the published rules before the bench and listed the case for further hearing on November 16 to examine the final text.
- The government previously submitted a draft in a sealed cover that the court reviewed and returned while the Ministry of Civil Aviation said it had been issuing interim memorandums that airlines did not always follow.
- The PIL by activist S. Laxminarayanan seeks an independent aviation regulator and accuses carriers of opaque charges, reduced free baggage allowances and algorithmic surge pricing that raise fares sharply for passengers.
- Public frustration over festival price spikes has been prominent in the record, with a LocalCircles survey reporting 54% of Diwali travellers paid over 50% more in 2026 versus 2025 and the court warning in August it could ground carriers that flout orders.