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India Seeks Airline Fare Data as Antitrust Probe Follows December Travel Chaos

By  |  January 7, 2026

India’s government has asked several domestic airlines to submit details on the average fares they charged during a period of severe travel disruptions in December, according to Reuters, as competition authorities examine whether market power was misused during the crisis.

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    Per Reuters, the request has been sent to IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet and Akasa, following widespread flight cancellations that left thousands of passengers stranded across the country. The disruptions were largely linked to pilot shortages at IndiGo, which controls about 65% of India’s aviation market and was forced to cancel roughly 4,500 flights last month, according to Reuters.

    During the disruption period, airfares on certain routes spiked sharply, prompting the government to step in with temporary price caps, Reuters reported. The situation has since drawn scrutiny from India’s Competition Commission of India (CCI), which said in December that it was proceeding against IndiGo to assess whether the airline abused its dominant market position. IndiGo has not commented on the case, according to Reuters.

    India’s civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has formally asked airlines to submit average fare data for every route they operated between December 1 and December 15. According to Reuters, the request covers both economy and premium economy seats and was outlined in a January 1 government email sent to IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express, SpiceJet and Akasa.

    Related: India Regulator Reviews Antitrust Claims Against IndiGo After Widespread Flight Disruptions

    The email also sought additional information, asking carriers to provide “fare data on affected routes” during the disruption period, per Reuters. The DGCA and the CCI did not respond to Reuters’ questions regarding the communication. Akasa declined to comment, while the remaining airlines did not respond.

    A government source told Reuters that the fare information was requested at the behest of the competition regulator, as it could help assess pricing patterns across airlines during the period of mass cancellations. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

    According to Reuters, there is currently no indication that the investigation has been expanded to include other airlines beyond IndiGo. However, one complaint under review by the CCI alleges that IndiGo cancelled flights and subsequently sold seats at significantly higher prices, an action that could amount to an abuse of its dominant market position, Reuters has previously reported.

    Source: Reuters