New Delhi, Dec. 8 -- It is apparent that IndiGo has used its dominance of India's air travel market to blackmail the authorities into giving it relief-albeit temporary-from compliance with tighter rules on night landings and how long and late into the wee hours pilots and crew can be put to work. In the process, it has penalized the vast majority of air travellers.

With the airline's market share above 60%, its bulk cancellation of flights left passengers stranded and let rival operators fleece fliers with steep fares until the government stepped in to cap fares.

This has exposed a regulator powerless to enforce its fiat in the face of determined resistance by a dominant player. This cannot be allowed to stand. Antitrust action suggests...