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Informist, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025

 

--CCI takes cognisance of complaint vs IndiGo over recent flight disruptions 

--CCI: Decided to proceed against IndiGo in accordance with competition law 

 

NEW DELHI – The Competition Commission of India Thursday said that it has taken cognisance of a complaint filed against Interglobe Aviation Ltd.-operated IndiGo airlines over recent flight disruptions and has decided to proceed as per provisions of the Competition Act, 2002. 

 

IndiGo saw an unprecedented level of flight cancellations earlier this month due to crew shortage, following enforcement of the new flight duty time limitation rules. These flight cancellations led to several passengers being stranded at airports across the country. Consequently, considering the high number of cancellations and inconvenience caused to customers, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation Saturday issued show-cause notices to Interglobe Aviation Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers and Chief Operating Officer Isidre Porqueras.

 

Amid the flight chaos, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation withdrew its order that allowed airlines to substitute leaves for crew members' weekly rest under the flight duty time limitation rules. After a conversation with airline operators and upon reviewing ongoing operational disruptions in flights, it withdrew the decision with immediate effect, according to a press release by the regulator.

 

To help the passengers, the Ministry of Civil Aviation directed IndiGo to clear all pending refunds without any delay. The ministry has also directed the company not to levy any rescheduling charges for passengers whose travel plans were affected by cancellations and clarified that any delay or non-compliance in refund processing will lead to immediate regulatory action. Further, the Ministry of Civil Aviation had capped the airfares and directed all airlines to follow the prescribed fares, according to a post on the social media platform 'X'. The government action came after a surge in airfares following the disruptions in IndiGo's flight operations.

 

Meanwhile, while hearing a public interest litigation by two advocates Akhil Rana and Utkarsh Sharma, the Delhi High Court on Dec. 10 questioned the government about how other airlines could take advantage of the situation and start charging INR 40,000 or more for tickets. "You allowed the situation to precipitate and only then did you take action. Why did you allow all this to happen?" the court had asked. "It's not just a question of individual passengers stuck at the airport. The question is also about loss to the economy. What action have you taken to provide help to people and compensate them?"

 

The high court directed IndiGo to strictly adhere to provisions on payment of compensation to passengers. If there are any other provisions for payment of damages to passengers, IndiGo and other respondents should ensure that as well, the court said. It asked the government to ensure that the situation returned to normal at the earliest, without compromising the safety of passengers. It also sought appropriate measures to be taken so that all airlines employ an adequate number of pilots. 

 

On Thursday, shares of InterGlobe Aviation ended 2.7% higher at INR 5,115.50 on the National Stock Exchange.  End

 

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Tanima Banerjee

 

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