Indian IndiGo appoints Walsh (IATA) as ceo. Replaces Elbers
The manager will take office at the beginning of August. Change at the top after hundreds of flight cancellations last December in India
Indian low-cost airline IndiGo has confirmed the appointment of Willie Walsh as its new CEO. Walsh, currently director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), will complete his term at the industry association on 31 July. According to a press release issued by the airline, Walsh is expected to take up his new position at IndiGo by early August.
The change at the top follows the sudden departure of Pieter Elbers, who resigned following investigations by regulators linked to widespread flight disruptions at the end of last year. The airline has been criticised for insufficient planning of shifts and rest periods for pilots, a shortcoming that caused thousands of cancellations during December, widely regarded as the most serious operational crisis in IndiGo's 20-year history.
The Indian Aviation Regulatory Authority later reprimanded the airline's top management, citing shortcomings in the supervision of flight operations and crisis management. Soon afterwards, co-founder and CEO Rahul Bhatia temporarily assumed executive control. Despite the setback, IndiGo maintains a dominant position in India's rapidly expanding aviation sector, holding about two-thirds of the domestic market.
Walsh has decades of experience in the industry. He began his career as a pilot at Aer Lingus in 1979, before becoming managing director in 2001. He then led British Airways and later the holding company IAG from 2005, before taking up his position at IATA in 2021.
