Big change at IndiGo after December flight crisis, CEO Pieter Elbers resigns
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers has resigned months after the airline’s major December 2025 flight crisis, with Rahul Bhatia taking interim charge until a new CEO is appointed.
New Delhi(The Uttam Hindu)-: According to information received on Tuesday, Pieter Elbers, the CEO of the country’s largest airline IndiGo, has resigned from his post. According to InterGlobe Aviation Limited, the company that operates IndiGo, this decision has come a few months after the airline’s biggest flight crisis in December last year.
In information given to the stock exchange, the company said that InterGlobe Aviation Managing Director Rahul Bhatia will temporarily take charge of the airline’s management. In its statement, the airline said that Pieter Elbers is stepping down from the post of IndiGo CEO with immediate effect. The company’s Board of Directors thanked him for his contribution and services to the organisation and wished him well for the future.
The company also said that Rahul Bhatia will handle the airline’s operations until a new leadership announcement is made. It is expected that the new CEO will be announced soon. Board Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta said that Rahul Bhatia taking over management again will be an important step toward strengthening the company’s work culture, maintaining operational excellence and providing better service to customers. Rahul Bhatia said that he founded IndiGo 22 years ago and helped build it, so he has a personal responsibility toward the airline, the country, customers, employees and investors.
Pieter Elbers, who became IndiGo CEO around three years ago, led a phase of rapid expansion at the airline. Under his leadership, the company’s revenue crossed 10 billion dollars and the airline’s fleet grew to more than 440 aircraft. During this period, IndiGo also placed a historic order with Airbus for 500 A320 family aircraft, which is considered one of the largest orders in aviation history. However, despite these achievements, the major operational crisis in December 2025 affected his tenure. The crisis arose when the airline faced difficulties in implementing new rules aimed at preventing pilot fatigue.
Between December 3 and 5, IndiGo cancelled more than 2,500 flights, while around 1,900 flights were delayed. As a result, more than 300,000 passengers across the country faced inconvenience.