The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Wednesday dismissed a complaint that alleged InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo) and were abusing their dominant market positions.
The complainant accused domestic airlines of charging “unconscionable” and illegal ticket cancellation fees, while also imposing arbitrary conditions and prices for the sale of services, according to PTI.
After examining the information, the regulator found no prima facie evidence of competition law violations, noting that both airlines maintain transparent refund systems and disclose their terms to passengers in advance.
Details of the complaint
As per the complainant, InterGlobe Aviation, which operates the low-budget carrier , holds more than 65% share in the domestic aviation sector, while Air India accounts for around 27% market share.
Together, the two players are estimated to control nearly 90% of the market, which the complainant argued raised concerns about market dominance and potential anti-competitive practices in the sector.
Why did CCI dismiss the complaint?
said the allegation of abuse of dominance does not require further examination, as both airlines have proper systems in place for ticket refunds. Passengers can have a substantially refundable ticket if they opt for that category, the fair trade regulator said.
Additionally, the competition watchdog said that the refund and cancellation terms are disclosed to passengers in advance. These terms apply to each and every consumer and not in a discriminatory, unfair or exclusionary manner, the commission added.
“In view of the information provided, the Commission is of the opinion that no prima facie case of contravention of Sections 3 and 4 of the Act is made out against OP-1 and OP-2. Accordingly, the Information is directed to be closed… under Section 26(2) of the Act,” it said in the order.
Sections 3 and 4 pertain to anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominant position, respectively.
CCI rejects joint investigation appeal
CCI also rejected a separate plea filed by the complainant seeking a joint investigation with another ongoing case related to mass flight cancellations by IndiGo in December 2025.
In its order, the regulator said the allegations and issues involved in the mass flight cancellation matter were entirely different from those raised in the present complaint concerning ticket cancellation charges and pricing practices.
Given the difference in the nature of the cases, CCI said there was no occasion to combine the proceedings or initiate a joint investigation, the agency report noted.
Meanwhile, Indigo informed the exchanges that its chief Pieter Elbers had resigned on Tuesday with immediate effect on personal grounds, prompting the founder and managing director, Rahul Bhatia, to step in as interim boss.