



CCI orders probe into IndiGo over alleged abuse of dominance after mass flight cancellations
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. NEW DELHI/ MUMBAI : The Competition Commission of India (CCI), the country's competition watchdog, has ordered an anti-trust investigation into IndiGo for alleged abuse of dominant position following large-scale flight cancellations and sharp fare increases in December. CCI has observed that passengers were “left with no real choice but to accept last-minute cancellations" and were forced to seek alternatives “at significantly higher prices".
Given IndiGo’s dominant position, consumers were “effectively locked in and lacked viable alternatives." In a 16-page order dated 4 February, the CCI has directed the Director General (DG), the watchdog's investigative arm, to examine whether IndiGo violated provisions of the Competition Act by cancelling thousands of flights across its network and subsequently charging significantly higher fares to stranded passengers. This marks the beginning of the investigation. "....the CCI directs the DG to cause an investigation to be made into the matter and submit an investigation report within a period of 90 days from the date of receipt of this order," the order by CCI chairperson, Ravneet Kaur and three members, Anil Agarwal, Sweta Kakkad and Deepak Anurag, read.
The anti-trust agency further said IndiGo created an ‘artificial scarcity’. Queries sent to the airline were not answered till print time. IndiGo has received the order.
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