Pieter Elbers steps down as CEO of InterGlobe Aviation

Pieter Elbers has stepped down as CEO of InterGlobe Aviation which runs the popular Indigo Airlines, citing personal reasons.

Rahul Bhatia, Managing Director of IndiGo, has stepped in temporarily until a new leader is announced, “which is expected in short order”, says a press release.

With a fleet of 400 aircraft, Indigo operates more than 2,200 daily flights, connecting 95 domestic and 40 international destinations, and controls a dominant marketshare in the Indian market.

The airline has been under pressure ever since complying with new labour codes led to the cancellation of thousands of flights last year, leading to spiralling air ticket prices and passenger inconvenience which ultimately required government intervention through temporary rule relaxations. For the quarter ended December 2025, the company posted lower profits on account of implementation of new labour laws aggregating ₹969.30 crore and exceptional items related to operational disruptions aggregating ₹577.20 crore.

In February 2026 the Competition Commission of India had said that by cancelling thousands of flights constituting a significant portion of the scheduled capacity, the airline appeared to have effectively withheld its service from the market, creating an artificial scarcity, and limiting consumer access to air travel during peak demand. It has directed an investigation by the Director General to be submitted within 90 days.