CCI to probe IndiGo over flight disruptions, abuse of dominance

New Delhi: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) announced on Thursday that it will investigate complaints received regarding IndiGo's flight disruptions.

The antitrust watchdog did not specify the nature of the competition law violation, but complaints were about an alleged violation of Section 4 of the Competition Act, which deals with abuse of dominance.

“CCI has taken cognizance of information filed against IndiGo in the context of the recent flight disruptions witnessed in the aviation sector, across various routes. Based on the initial assessment, the Commission has decided to proceed further in the matter in accordance with the provisions of the Competition Act, 2002,” the regulator said in a statement.

'Operations fully normalized'

InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, the company operating IndiGo, informed stock exchanges on Thursday that its operations have fully normalized.

“Having completely stabilized operations across the network starting 9 December 2025 with 1,800 plus flights, IndiGo has been gradually and carefully adding capacity and will be operating over 2,200 flights today, in line with the revised schedule,” the company said.

“We have been flying to all our 138 operational destinations and maintaining normal on-time performance, as per IndiGo standards. We continue to maintain full integrity of the revised schedule and remain committed to delivering consistently reliable service to over 3.5 lakh customers daily,” the IndiGo spokesperson stated.

Queries emailed to InterGlobe Aviation on Thursday seeking comments remained unanswered.

The disruptions in IndiGo’s operations began due to a shortage of eligible crew for flight operations following the government's introduction of new norms aimed at providing pilots with more rest and reducing fatigue. Many flights faced delays or cancellations as the company struggled to find enough personnel to operate the flights.

The flight cancellations led to widespread criticism of the company on social media, as well as in Parliament, prompting CCI’s decision to investigate the matter.

Experts cautioned against using the antitrust statute to investigate the operational disruption of a company.

“Competition law is not a catch-all for every service failure. Using abuse of dominance provisions to police operational lapses blurs the line between sectoral regulation and antitrust enforcement. The CCI must be careful not to turn competition law into a general service quality regulation, as that would shift its focus from protecting competition to addressing consumer dissatisfaction, ultimately harming innovation and competitive markets,” said Naval Chopra, partner at law firm Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co.

Sonam Chandwani, managing partner KS Legal & Associates, said CCI’s decision to take cognizance of the information filed against IndiGo reflects a prima facie satisfaction that the allegations merit investigation under the Competition Act, 2002, and do not amount to any finding of liability.

“CCI’s intervention is rooted not in operational disruptions per se, which fall within the regulatory domain of aviation authorities, but in the potential competition law implications arising from IndiGo’s significant market presence on several routes. The inquiry will examine whether, during periods of widespread disruption, any conduct relating to pricing, capacity management, cancellations, or consumer treatment amounted to abuse of dominance or exclusionary behaviour capable of distorting competition,” said Chandwani.

“At this stage, the order merely sets the investigative machinery in motion through the director general, with IndiGo retaining full opportunity to justify its conduct on commercial and operational grounds before any adverse inference can be drawn,” added Chandwani.

The Rajya Sabha Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture, chaired by JD(U) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha, on Wednesday discussed the impact of revised FDTL norms with officials of the government, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and airline operators. Jha told reporters that an enquiry by the government is underway regarding the flight disruptions, and once the report is received, the Upper House panel will meet again.