IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers has resigned, the country’s largest airline operated by Interglobe Aviation Ltd. said on Tuesday, in the aftermath of the carrier’s worst-ever flight crisis in December. Managing Director Rahul Bhatia has assumed management of the airline on an interim basis.
In a little over three years since Elbers taking the helm in September 2022, IndiGo crossed the $10 billion revenue mark, expanded its fleet to over 440 aircraft, and placed a historic order for 500 Airbus A320-family planes.
But despite his successes, Elbers’ tenure was marred by a massive operational meltdown in December 2025. The flight crisis was triggered by IndiGo’s struggle to implement new rules designed to prevent pilot fatigue.
Between December 3 and 5, IndiGo cancelled over 2,500 flights and delayed nearly 1,900 more, affecting over 300,000 passengers.
The DGCA imposed a record fine of ₹22.20 crore and issued show-cause notices directly to Elbers. While he initially survived calls for his resignation, the crisis significantly dented the airline’s reputation for punctuality.
This is a developing story. More to come.
