The Competition Commission of India said it has decided to investigate complaints linked to recent flight disruptions involving IndiGo.
The regulator did not spell out the exact violation, but the complaints relate to an alleged breach of Section 4 of the Competition Act, which concerns abuse of a dominant market position.
CCI to Probe IndiGo Flight Disruptions Over Alleged Abuse of Dominance
In its official statement, the CCI said it has “taken cognizance of information filed against IndiGo in the context of the recent flight disruptions witnessed in the aviation sector, across various routes,” and that an initial review justified moving ahead under the Competition Act, 2002.
InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, which operates IndiGo, informed stock exchanges that its flight operations have now fully stabilized.
The company said that from 9 December 2025, it had normalized operations with more than 1,800 flights and was gradually increasing capacity to over 2,200 flights in line with a revised schedule.
IndiGo stated that it is currently flying to all 138 of its operational destinations and maintaining normal on-time performance according to its internal standards.
The airline also said it continues to follow the revised schedule strictly and remains focused on providing reliable service to more than 3.5 lakh passengers every day.
The operational disruptions were triggered by a shortage of qualified flight crew after the government introduced new rules to increase pilot rest periods and reduce fatigue.
Because of the crew shortage, IndiGo was unable to staff all scheduled flights, leading to multiple delays and cancellations across its network.
These cancellations attracted strong criticism from passengers on social media and also became an issue of discussion in Parliament.
The public backlash and political attention were among the factors that led the CCI to step in and examine the matter.
Experts Caution Against Using Competition Law for Operational Service Failures
Several experts warned that competition law should not be used to address routine service failures or operational problems faced by companies.
Naval Chopra of Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. said, “Competition law is not a catch-all for every service failure,” and cautioned that using abuse of dominance provisions to handle operational lapses could blur the boundary between sectoral regulation and antitrust enforcement.
Sonam Chandwani of KS Legal & Associates explained that the CCI’s decision only shows a prima facie view that the allegations deserve investigation and does not amount to a finding of guilt.
Chandwani clarified that the focus of the probe is not the operational disruption itself, which normally falls under aviation regulators, but the possible competition law implications arising from IndiGo’s strong market presence on certain routes.
Separately, the Rajya Sabha Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture discussed the impact of the revised flight duty time limitation norms with government officials, the DGCA, and airline representatives.
Committee chair Sanjay Kumar Jha said a government inquiry into the flight disruptions is ongoing and that the panel will meet again after the enquiry report is submitted.
