New Delhi, Nov 18: Jet Airways, IndiGo and SpiceJet on Wednesday hinted pursuing legal recourses against CCI order imposing penalties totalling Rs 258 crore on them for anti-competitive practices related to air cargo.
Clamping down on unfair business practices in the aviation sector, Competition Commission of India (CCI) hadon Tuesday penalised the three airlines for cartelisation in determining the fuel surcharge on air cargo.
A penalty of Rs 151.69 crore was imposed on Jet Airways, while that on InterGlobe Aviation and SpiceJet are Rs 63.74 crore and Rs 42.48 crore, respectively. InterGlobe runs no-frills carrier IndiGo.
CCI’s ruling came on a complaint filed by Express Industry Council of India (EICI) alleging collusion in levy of fuel surcharge on transport of cargo against five airlines.
However, the fair trade regulator did not penalise two other carriers — Air India and GoAir.
According to Jet Airways, while the investigation carried out by CCI’s Joint Director General concluded that the allegations levelled against the airlines were not proved. However, the Commission, pursuant to the objections filed by EICI, has held otherwise and imposed a penalty on the company and two other airlines, it added.
SpiceJet also noted that investigation by the Director General (DG) in the matter concluded that the airlines did not indulge in anti-competitive activities.
DG is the investigation arm of CCI.
