JAMMU: In a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Y.V Sharma former President Chamber of Commerce and Advocate Baldev Singh against the exorbitant air fares charged by airlines without any capping and for delay being as a routine attribute to technical faults without any justification or transparency making the passengers to suffer without any fault on their part.
In the PIL, the petitioners are seeking direction to respondents to submit the details regarding the rationale behind minimum and maximum air fare.
A Division Bench of State High Court Comprising Chief Justice M.M Kumar and Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur after hearing Senior Advocate B.S Salathia with Advocate Bhanu Salathia for the PIL whereas R.P Jamwal Central Govt’s Standing Counsel (CGSC) observed that during the course of hearing, necessity of filing detailed pleadings by the airlines has been felt particularly in the light of the provisions of Rule 135 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937 as amended on 16th April, 2009.
The discussion has also been on the issue as to whether travel agents could purchase tickets in bulk from any airlines with the object of selling it later at their own price or otherwise. What other factors apart from the ones’ given in the Rule 135(1) could also be taken into account for fixing the air fare? Whether various categories could be created for fixing different fares as has been highlighted in para 3 of the reply filed by respondent No.5 i.e. Air India. Under which rule such categorization is permissible has to be answered by all the airlines?
With the purpose of filing reply to aforesaid queries Division Bench granted five weeks’ time to file additional affidavits by airlines and official respondents.
