IndiGo crisis: Govt to take final call on DGCA report in a week, say sources

The Ministry of Civil Aviation is expected to take the final call on the IndiGo fiasco in a week. As per sources, the final call on the report submitted by Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA’s) four-member high committee is likely to be taken within a week.

Sources also indicated that the actions that will be taken against IndiGo officials who are held accountable 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 significant flight cancellations reported by IndiGo in early December. The move aims to determine whether the country’s largest airline may have engaged in unfair business practices during this period of operational disruption.

Sources indicate that the CCI has sent specific queries to IndiGo to better understand its business practices during the disruption. In addition, the commission has requested details from the DGCA, particularly regarding airfares, to build a comprehensive perspective on the sector before taking any further action.

IndiGo, which holds a domestic market share exceeding 63 per cent, faced operational difficulties that led to thousands of cancelled flights before the situation stabilised. The DGCA, acting in response to the disruptions, reduced IndiGo’s winter schedule by 10 per cent. The regulator has completed its own investigation, while the CCI is continuing to assess the situation.

The CCI’s standard process involves an initial assessment to establish whether there is a prima facie case of anti-competitive behaviour. Should such a case be identified, the regulator refers the matter for a detailed investigation led by its Director General. At present, the CCI is focused on the assessment stage for IndiGo.