Warning bell: In 60% of routes it operates, IndiGo has monopoly

The recent IndiGo crisis, causing daily flight cancellations, highlighted its dominance in India’s aviation sector. IndiGo handles six out of every ten domestic passengers, operating over 950 of India’s 1,200 domestic routes. Of these, nearly 600 (63%) are monopoly routes, and about 200 (21%) are duopoly routes with only one competitor. While India’s aviation market is effectively a duopoly with Air India holding 26.5% share, IndiGo’s dominance stems from the failure of other airlines like Go First and Jet Airways to compete. Its monopoly helps maintain many routes, and it had long set benchmarks for efficiency and safety.