IndiGo under antitrust review after widespread flight cancellations

India’s competition regulator has initiated a review into alleged antitrust violations by budget airline IndiGo following widespread flight cancellations that disrupted air travel across the country earlier this month, as per a report by Reuters.

The Competition Commission of India said on Thursday that it had taken cognisance of information filed against IndiGo in connection with recent flight disruptions across multiple routes and had decided to proceed with a preliminary assessment, without disclosing further details of the allegations.

IndiGo, which commands over 60 per cent of India’s domestic aviation market, cancelled around 4,500 flights earlier this month due to deficiencies in pilot roster planning. The cancellations left tens of thousands of passengers stranded and triggered one of the largest aviation disruptions in recent years. Airfares surged sharply during the period, prompting the government to impose temporary fare caps.

One of the complaints reviewed by Reuters accused IndiGo of cancelling confirmed flights and subsequently offering replacement seats at significantly higher prices, amounting to an abuse of its dominant market position. The filing, submitted by lawyer Kartikeya Rawal, alleged that after his ticket was cancelled, the alternative fare quoted to him was substantially higher than the original price.

The episode has highlighted concerns around market concentration in what is the world’s fastest-growing aviation market, where IndiGo and Air India together account for more than 90 per cent of domestic capacity.

The CCI said that following its initial assessment, it may order a detailed investigation, which could lead to penalties if violations of competition law are established. The regulator did not offer additional comment beyond its formal statement.

IndiGo, widely known for its punctuality, has apologised for the cancellations and described the episode as a blemish on its operational record.