NEW DELHI: The chief executive of India’s largest airline IndiGo has stepped down with immediate effect, the company said on Tuesday (Mar 10), months after mass flight cancellations by the carrier threw airports across India into disarray.
In a stock exchange filing, the airline’s parent InterGlobe Aviation Limited said its board had taken note of the resignation of CEO Pieter Elbers, who will be relieved from his duties at the close of business on Mar 10.
Managing director Rahul Bhatia will “in the interim assume management of the affairs of the company” until a new chief executive is appointed, the filing said, adding that a replacement was expected “in short order”.
The leadership change comes just months after IndiGo faced widespread criticism following a spate of flight cancellations and delays late last year that disrupted travel plans for thousands of passengers, particularly during peak travel periods.
In January, India’s civil aviation regulator imposed a fine of US$2.45 million on IndiGo for poor roster planning that led to large-scale cancellations in December.
The airline has cited operational constraints and aircraft availability issues in the past for schedule disruptions, though it remains the country’s dominant carrier.
The operational meltdown came even though IndiGo had two years to prepare for the new rules aimed at giving pilots more rest periods in between flights to enhance passenger safety.
IndiGo operates more than 2,200 daily flights with a fleet of over 400 aircraft, connecting more than 95 domestic and 40 international destinations.
The airline carried about 124 million passengers in 2025, making it India’s biggest carrier by market share.
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