The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has sought information from IndiGo and aviation regulator DGCA to assess whether the country’s largest airline was involved in unfair trade practices following mass flight cancellations last month, PTI quoted sources as saying.In early December, IndiGo, which has over 63% share in the domestic aviation market, faced major operational disruptions, leading to the cancellation of thousands of flights before services were stabilised. In response, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) cut the airline’s winter schedule by 10%.
Sources said the anti-trust regulator has sent a set of questions to IndiGo as part of its preliminary investigation into the airline’s conduct. The CCI has also sought information, including airfare data, from the DGCA to gain a comprehensive understanding of the market conditions before deciding its next action.The Competition Commission is currently assessing whether there is prima facie evidence that IndiGo has breached competition norms by abusing its dominant position in the market. As part of its process, the monitoring body first conducts a preliminary assessment before ordering a detailed investigation by its Director General (DG), if necessary.On December 18, CCI said it has taken cognizance of the information filed against IndiGo regarding recent flight disruptions on several routes. “Based on the preliminary assessment, the Commission has decided to proceed in the matter as per the provisions of the Competition Act, 2002,” a release said.A day later, CCI chairperson Ravneet Kaur told PTI that the regulator has decided to investigate the matter further based on the information available. He said, “The information that we have has come to us and on the basis of that information the matter was placed before the Commission. The Commission believes that in the initial assessment it looks like we can go into more detail.”The DGCA has already completed its investigation into the operational disruptions, while the CCI continues to evaluate whether IndiGo’s conduct warrants a full investigation under competition law.