The Supreme Court has reportedly issued a stern warning to airlines regarding strict adherence to regulatory requirements, even as the Union government promised it would expedite new aviation rules.
The Supreme Court bench, after examining the draft rules, noted that while a regulatory mechanism had been proposed, there was still no clarity on an effective regulator. Meanwhile, Centre informed the court that it had fast-tracked the framing of new aviation rules under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, saying these would be finalised within three weeks. The bench, in a hearing on July 13, directed the Centre to place on record the rules framed under the new aviation law, a legislation which intended to modernise the country’s civil aviation framework, ANI news agency reported. During the hearing on Monday, the SC bench accepted the Centre’s request for additional time, listing the matter for further hearing on September 7.
“If airlines are not complying, ground them,” a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said on Monday, ANI news agency reported. The apex court said this while hearing a plea filed by social activist S Laxminarayanan, which sought a robust and independent regulator, which would ensure transparency and manage passenger protection across the civil aviation sector. it said some final discussions on the same were still underway While the government provided the draft rules to the bench for perusal in a sealed cover. The petitioner’s counsel questioned the “lack of willingness” on the part of authorities and the effectiveness of the existing mechanism. The Supreme Court had earlier termed the exorbitant increase in airfares by the airlines as “exploitation”, seeking a response from the Centre and DGCA on the plea.
It had asked the Centre to place the draft rules before the court in a sealed cover, irrespective of whether they had been laid before the Parliament.
