India Seeks Fare Data Amid IndiGo Antitrust Probe
India’s government has asked major airlines including IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, and Akasa to provide data on average fares charged on all routes as antitrust authorities investigate travel disruptions in December. IndiGo, which controls around 65% of the domestic market, cancelled about 4,500 flights due to pilot shortages, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and prompting temporary fare caps.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation requested airlines to submit fare data for economy and premium economy seats between December 1 and 15, as well as on routes affected by cancellations. The data is intended to help the Competition Commission of India (CCI) assess whether IndiGo abused its dominant market position by hiking fares during the crisis.
One CCI complaint under review alleges that IndiGo offered seats at much higher prices after cancelling flights, potentially violating antitrust norms. While the case currently focuses on IndiGo, authorities are using the fare data to examine broader patterns across the airline industry during the disruptions.
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