IndiGo Crisis: Govt to take final decision on DGCA report in a week, sources say

The Civil Aviation Ministry is expected to take the final decision on the IndiGo fiasco within a week. According to sources, the final call on the report submitted by the four-member high committee of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is expected to take place within a week.

Sources also said that the action to be taken against the IndiGo officials held responsible in this report would be decided at the same time. The civil aviation ministry has sought further inputs from the committee on the report.

Separately, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has formally requested information from IndiGo and the DGCA in response to major flight cancellations reported by IndiGo in early December. The ruling seeks to determine whether the country’s largest airline may have engaged in unfair trade practices during this period of operational disruption.

Sources say the CCI has sent specific queries to IndiGo to better understand its business practices during the disruption. Furthermore, the commission requested details from the DGAC, particularly on air fares, in order to have an overall vision of the sector before undertaking any further action.

IndiGo, which has a domestic market share of over 63 percent, faced operational difficulties that led to the cancellation of thousands of flights before the situation stabilized. The DGCA, acting in response to the disruptions, reduced IndiGo’s winter schedule by 10 percent. The regulator has completed its own investigation, while the CCI continues to assess the situation.

The ICC’s standard process involves an initial assessment to establish whether there is a presumption of anti-competitive behavior. If such a case is identified, the regulator refers the matter to a thorough investigation by its director general. Currently, the CCI is focusing on the evaluation phase of IndiGo.