Govt seeks airfare data as CCI probes IndiGo over December flight chaos

The government has asked airlines to share average fares charged during December after mass flight cancellations, mainly by IndiGo, disrupted travel and triggered a CCI probe into fare patterns

The central government has asked IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet and Akasa Air to share data on the average fares they charged during December, news agency Reuters reported. The reported move comes a month after thousands of flights of aviation major IndiGo were cancelled, leaving passengers stranded across the country.

According to the report, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) wrote to airlines, including IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express, SpiceJet and Akasa,  on January 1, seeking fare information for the period from December 1 to December 15.

In December last year, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) said it had begun proceedings against IndiGo to examine whether the airline abused its dominant market position.

IndiGo cancellations trigger nationwide disruption

IndiGo, which controls about 65 per cent of India’s aviation market, cancelled around 4,500 flights in December, mainly due to a shortage of pilots. During this period, airfares on some routes jumped sharply, prompting the government to step in.

The crisis began after the DGCA fully enforced stricter pilot duty and rest rules. The new norms increased weekly rest requirements and reduced the number of hours pilots can fly at night.

Before the disruption, the airline operated about 2,300 flights daily, including around 2,000 domestic and 300 international services.

Aviation sector faces heavy losses in FY26

The domestic aviation industry is expected to post a net loss of ₹17,000-18,000 crore in the current financial year, according to ratings agency Icra.

Earlier, losses for FY26 were estimated at ₹9,500-10,500 crore. The revised estimate reflects weaker passenger traffic and operational challenges.

Icra has also cut its forecast for domestic air passenger traffic growth to 0-3 per cent in FY26, down from its earlier estimate of 4-6 per cent.