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The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has sought detailed airfare data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as part of its investigation into the IndiGo flight delay matter.

The CCI has asked the DGCA to provide detailed fare information for all affected routes between December 1 and December 15. The data request covers routes impacted by flight delays during the period under scrutiny.

The request for fare details was made on January 1, indicating that the competition watchdog has formally begun examining pricing patterns linked to the delays.

The Competition Commission of India is investigating whether there were any irregularities or unfair pricing practices related to flight delays. The information from DGCA is expected to help the regulator assess fare trends during the affected period.

Earlier in December, CII had said that it would examine widespread flight disruptions caused by IndiGo after taking cognisance of information filed against the airline.

IndiGo has been struggling with mass flight disruptions over the past month.

In December last year, the aircraft cancelled thousands of flights, including approximately 1,600 on a single day, after the court-mandated pilots' stricter flight duty and rest period rules came into force. The huge number of cancellations caused a large number of passengers to be stranded at the airports across the country.

Earlier in the day, IndiGo's new Airbus A321XLR (registration number VT-NLA) took off from Hamburg, Germany, and is expected to arrive in Delhi. This is a huge step for India's aviation sector as it will allow longer, direct flights.

InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, the parent company of IndiGo, earlier this week, received a GST assessment order that imposed a demand of Rs 458.26 crore (including interest and penalty), as per the company's exchange filing.

The order was issued by the Additional Commissioner of CGST, Delhi South Commissionerate, and covers the financial years 2018-19 to 2022-23.

In response, IndiGo said, “The Company strongly believes that the order passed by the GST department is erroneous and not in accordance with law, based on advice from external tax advisors. Accordingly, the Company will contest the order and take appropriate legal remedies.”

Also, the airline said that it is already in the process of appealing the decision before the Commissioner (Appeals) concerning a similar matter for FY 2017-18 and does not expect the order to have any significant impact on its finances or operations.