IndiGo's CEO Outlines Recovery Strategy After Major Flight Cancellations

IndiGo's CEO Pieter Elbers has announced a strategic focus on resilience and rebuilding following a series of flight cancellations that affected thousands of passengers. In a recent message to employees, he outlined plans for a thorough root-cause analysis to address the disruptions caused by crew shortages and regulatory changes. Elbers also intends to engage directly with staff to understand their challenges during this tumultuous period. The airline's operational stability has been restored to 2,200 flights, but the government has responded to the situation by cutting IndiGo's winter schedule by 10%.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 18, 2025, 12:37 IST

IndiGo's Path to Recovery

Mumbai: On Thursday, Pieter Elbers, the CEO of IndiGo, emphasized the airline's commitment to three key areas: resilience, root-cause analysis, and rebuilding efforts. This statement follows significant disruptions that affected numerous passengers due to the cancellation of thousands of flights earlier this month.

In a video message directed at employees, Elbers highlighted that the airline is now focused on restoring operations after stabilizing its services. He mentioned that the Board has engaged an external aviation expert to carry out a thorough root-cause analysis.

Elbers noted, "On December 9, I announced the stabilization of IndiGo's operations. As of today, we have reinstated our network to 2,200 flights. Our current priorities are resilience, root cause analysis, and rebuilding the airline."

He attributed the operational disruptions to a combination of factors and confirmed that an external expert has been tasked with conducting a detailed analysis.

Elbers plans to travel across the network to meet with employees and gain insights into the challenges they encountered during the disruptions.

These employees faced significant public criticism during the extensive disruptions at the airline, which is controlled by Rahul Bhatia, as they struggled to provide basic services and timely information amid the abrupt cancellations.

Between December 1 and December 9, IndiGo canceled thousands of flights due to inadequate planning and crew shortages related to new regulations on pilots' duty periods and rest, which took effect on November 1.

A panel from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is currently investigating the operational issues at IndiGo.

Additionally, the government has reduced IndiGo's winter flight schedule by 10% in response to the widespread cancellations earlier this month.