IndiGo co-founder and managing director Rahul Bhatia has raised concerns over any policy change that would allow airport operators to own airlines. He argued that combining control of airport infrastructure with airline ownership would lead to a serious conflict of interest in the aviation sector.
The comments come at a time when IndiGo is also dealing with pressure on its financial performance. The airline reported a consolidated loss of ₹238 crore for the April-June quarter, compared with a profit of ₹2,176.3 crore in the same period a year earlier.
According to the company, higher fuel costs were a key reason for the sharp reversal in earnings. Rising aviation fuel expenses have remained an important challenge for carriers, especially when operating costs increase faster than revenue growth.
Bhatia’s remarks add to a broader debate around competition and fair market structure in aviation. His position suggests that ownership rules should avoid situations where one company could influence both airport operations and airline business interests at the same time.
