New Delhi, March 10 IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers resigned on Tuesday, citing personal reasons, and the country's largest airline has relieved him with immediate effect, a development that comes three months after massive operational disruptions triggered widespread public outrage and regulatory actions.
Co-Founder and Managing Director Rahul Bhatia will manage the affairs of IndiGo on an interim basis until a new person is appointed, which the airline said is expected shortly.
The resignation of Elbers, who has been at the helm of IndiGo as CEO since September 6, 2022, has come abruptly, and while citing personal reasons for the decision, he had also requested the airline to waive the notice period.
"With immediate effect, Pieter Elbers will be stepping down as InterGlobe Aviation Limited's (IndiGo) CEO," InterGlobe Aviation said in a release on Tuesday and thanked him for his contribution and service, as well as wished him well in his future endeavours.
In his resignation letter, Elbers, a Dutch national, said it has been both an honour and a privilege to serve as the CEO for the past few years, since September 2022, and being a part of the great IndiGo family, “it’s a beautiful growth story and the steps we have made together in this”.
"If the company so desires, obviously, I will be available for any handover or transition otherwise. I would like to thank you personally, and IndiGo's Board, for the support extended to me," he said.
The resignation comes three months after the airline faced massive operational disruptions, especially between December 3 and 5 last year -- a period during which 2,507 flights were cancelled, and 1,852 flights were delayed, impacting over 3 lakh passengers at airports across the country.
In January, aviation watchdog DGCA slapped penalties totalling Rs 22.20 crore for the massive flight disruptions in December, and had warned Elbers and two other senior executives for non-compliance.
The regulator had also directed the airline to furnish a Rs 50-crore bank guarantee to ensure long-term systemic corrections.
According to the airline, Bhatia shall, in the interim, assume management of the affairs of the airline until such time that the Company announces the arrival of a new leader, which is expected in short order.
In the release on Tuesday, Bhatia said that having founded and nurtured IndiGo for twenty-two years, "I feel a deep sense of personal commitment and responsibility towards our nation, and towards the airline's customers, employees, shareholders and all other stakeholders".
"While placing culture, service excellence and stakeholder trust at the forefront of its operations, IndiGo will continue to sharpen its strategic focus on serving India and her people with an airline that is professionally managed, operationally reliable and globally respected," he said in the release.