A sudden leadership change has taken place at India’s largest airline, with IndiGo chief executive officer Pieter Elbers stepping down citing personal reasons. The resignation comes barely three months after a major operational crisis that led to thousands of flight cancellations and regulatory action.
Promoter and managing director Rahul Bhatia will take charge of the airline’s affairs as interim CEO until a new leader is appointed, the company said on Tuesday.
Elbers, who took over as CEO in September 2022, informed Bhatia in an email that he was stepping down due to personal reasons.
Before joining IndiGo, Elbers had served as president and CEO of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. During his tenure, IndiGo pursued ambitious expansion plans and placed a record order for 500 aircraft as it sought to strengthen its position as India’s largest airline while expanding its international operations.
His exit follows the severe operational disruption faced by IndiGo in December, when the airline cancelled more than 4,200 flights between December 1 and December 9.
The crisis was triggered by the airline’s difficulty in managing pilot duty rosters after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation fully implemented stricter flight duty regulations in November. The revised rules increased weekly rest requirements and reduced the number of night flying hours permitted for pilots, forcing airlines to adjust their scheduling systems.
In a message to employees, Bhatia acknowledged the disruption caused during the crisis and said the events of December should never have occurred.
Following an investigation into the crisis, the aviation regulator imposed penalties totalling ₹22.2 crore on IndiGo.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation found serious shortcomings in operational planning and crew management that led to widespread flight disruptions. The penalty included ₹1.8 crore for six instances of regulatory non-compliance and ₹20.4 crore calculated as a daily penalty of ₹30 lakh for 68 days related to violations of crew rostering and flight duty time limitation norms.
The regulator also issued warnings to senior executives responsible for flight operations and directed the airline to remove the head of its operations control centre from operational duties due to lapses identified during the investigation.
In addition, IndiGo was required to furnish a ₹50-crore bank guarantee tied to a reform programme aimed at ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
Announcing the leadership change, the company said its board of directors thanked Elbers for his service and contribution to the airline. IndiGo chairman Vikram Singh Mehta said Bhatia’s return to oversee the airline’s management would help reinforce operational discipline and strengthen the company’s service culture.
