IndiGo CEO steps down, MD Bhatia to take interim charge

IndiGo chief executive officer Pieter Elbers has resigned from his post, with the airline’s co-founder and managing director Rahul Bhatia set to assume interim charge of the company’s affairs, according to a regulatory filing made on Tuesday.

The development comes nearly three months after the airline witnessed widespread flight disruptions that left over three lakh passengers stranded across the country, and triggered regulatory action. In a filing to the stock exchanges, IndiGo said its board of directors, at a meeting held on Tuesday, took note of Elbers’ resignation.

He will be relieved from his duties at the close of business hours the same day, after which Bhatia will temporarily oversee the airline’s management. Elbers had taken over as CEO in September 2022, and led the airline during a period of fleet expansion and international growth. The airline came under intense scrutiny following operational disruptions in December last year.

The crisis prompted intervention by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which imposed penalties totalling Rs 22.20 crore on IndiGo, and initiated additional corrective measures.

In his resignation letter addressed to Bhatia, Elbers cited personal reasons for stepping down, and requested that his notice period be waived.

‘Main Hoon Naa’, interim chief assures staff

IndiGo co-founder and MD Rahul Bhatia on Tuesday assured the staff that he would be managing the airline’s affairs with a deep sense of responsibility, adding that what happened last December should never have taken place. He signed off in the message as “Rahul, alias Main Hoon Naa”.