IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers resigns months after mass flight cancellations:Founder Rahul Bhatia assumes interim charge

The chief executive officer of India’s largest airline, Pieter Elbers, has resigned from his position. The airline IndiGo disclosed the development in a regulatory filing on March 10. Following his departure, the airline’s co-founder and managing director Rahul Bhatia will take charge of the company’s operations on an interim basis. IndiGo said the Board of Directors accepted Elbers’ resignation at its meeting on Tuesday, and he has been relieved of his duties after the close of business hours the same day. Resignation cited due to personal reasons In his resignation letter addressed to Rahul Bhatia, Elbers cited personal reasons for stepping down and requested the company to waive his notice period so that he could be relieved immediately. Elbers had taken over as CEO of IndiGo in September 2022 and had been leading the airline during a period of rapid growth and expansion. Pressure after operational crisis However, he had been under pressure since December last year, when the airline faced one of the worst operational disruptions in its history. During the crisis, hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed, leaving nearly three lakh passengers stranded and impacting the airline’s credibility. According to reports, the disruption also caused the airline an estimated financial loss of around ₹2,000 crore. DGCA imposed heavy penalty Following the disruption, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) launched an investigation and took strict action against the airline. The probe found lapses related to passenger convenience and safety compliance, after which the regulator imposed a penalty of ₹22.20 crore on IndiGo. Industry experts believe that after the incident, differences between the airline’s board and the CEO gradually widened, which may have contributed to the decision. Rahul Bhatia takes charge; search for new CEO begins With Elbers’ exit, Rahul Bhatia will temporarily oversee the airline’s operations while the company begins the process of appointing a new full-time CEO. The leadership transition comes at a crucial time for IndiGo, which continues to dominate the domestic aviation market and is accelerating its international expansion plans.