IndiGo names IATA’s Walsh as CEO after cancellations chaos

IndiGo named Willie Walsh its chief executive officer, hoping the former British Airways leader can help India’s biggest airline recover after mass flight cancellations in December triggered one of the nation’s worst aviation crises. Walsh, currently director general of the International Air Transport Association, is expected to join no later than Aug. 3, according to a statement by airline owner InterGlobe Aviation Ltd. on Tuesday. His tenure at IATA will end July 31. [caption id="attachment_57296116" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Willie Walsh, new chief executive officer of IndiGo, speaks during a Bloomberg Television interview at the Singapore Airshow in February. (Courtesy/Bloomberg)[/caption] Challenges ahead The appointment comes weeks after Pieter Elbers resigned as IndiGo’s CEO with immediate effect, citing “personal reasons.” In December, the low-cost carrier was forced to cancel thousands of flights after new rules limiting pilots’ duty hours took effect. The disruptions cascaded across airports for days, triggering public outrage, a subsequent plunge in quarterly profit and tighter regulatory oversight. IndiGo controls two-thirds of the domestic market. IndiGo was blamed for not sufficiently preparing for the pilot rules, which led to cockpit crew shortages. The aviation regulator issued a show-cause notice to Elbers for “significant lapses” in planning and said he had failed in his duty to ensure reliable operations. IndiGo was fined, and Elbers, who led the airline for five years, was cautioned by the regulator in January. After Elbers resigned, Rahul Bhatia, managing director, took over management in the interim. Walsh, 64, will be responsible for the overall management and strategic direction of IndiGo, focusing on strengthening the carrier’s performance, InterGlobe said in the statement. Executing strategy IndiGo is preparing to expand its long-haul operations, and Walsh’s first test will be exorcising the ghost of that crisis while positioning the carrier as a global competitor. Shares are down more than 20% so far this year. Walsh’s challenge is exacerbated by fallout from the Iran war, which is pushing jet fuel prices ever higher while forcing planes to fly longer routes to avoid conflict zones. The company last week announced the appointment of Aloke Singh, former CEO of budget carrier Air India Express, as chief strategy officer. Walsh became CEO of British Airways in 2005 and then took over the carrier’s parent company, IAG SA, in 2011. After leaving the group in 2020, he joined Geneva-based IATA and lobbied on behalf of global airlines concerning environmental and manufacturing issues. Tata Group’s Air India Ltd. is also expected to see a leadership change, with the carrier bracing for a record loss following a June crash that killed more than 240 people. Current CEO Campbell Wilson won’t be offered an extension when his contract expires in mid-2027, people familiar with the matter had said earlier. The inaugural Cargo Facts Routes and Airport Conference will take place April 27-28 in Brussels at the Marriott Hotel Grand Place, along with Cargo Facts EMEA 2026, taking place April 28-30. To see the agendas and register for the events, visit CargoFactsEvents.com .

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