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IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers Resigns as Co‑Founder Rahul Bhatia Takes Interim Charge

The leadership shift follows December’s rostering meltdown as the airline moves to stabilize operations and restore regulator confidence.

Overview

  • Elbers quit with immediate effect on March 10 citing personal reasons and asked for his notice period to be waived, according to the company’s filing.
  • Managing director and co‑founder Rahul Bhatia has assumed interim control, with the board saying a new leader will be announced in short order.
  • The December 2025 disruption during the rollout of stricter Flight Duty Time Limitation rules led to 2,507 cancellations and 1,852 delays between December 3 and 5, as recorded by the DGCA.
  • The regulator fined IndiGo Rs 22.20 crore and issued show‑cause notices or warnings to senior executives, after a probe cited over‑optimisation, weak regulatory preparedness, software gaps and management‑control shortcomings.
  • Bhatia told staff the December episode “should never have taken place,” as IndiGo continues to face regulatory scrutiny, including a Competition Commission of India inquiry, and prioritizes operational recovery.