'What happened in Dec should not have, ' says Rahul Bhatia; Indigo CEO Elbers quits

New Delhi: IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers has resigned from the airline with immediate effect, following the airline's unprecedented schedule collapse last December that had left lakhs of passengers stranded across airports. Airline founder & MD Rahul Bhatia will "in the interim assume management of the affairs of the company," IndiGo parent InterGlobe Enterprises said in a regulatory filing Tuesday.


Making his disappointment clear about the Dec chaos, Rahul Bhatia said in an internal mail to employees sent on Tuesday: "What happened last December should never have taken place.... Our customers didn't deserve it and nor did all of you, especially the frontline employees who bore most of the brunt for no fault of theirs.... I wish to place on record my indebtedness to all my colleagues who carried the company's cross with grace and dignity, and ploughed through sleepless nights to restore IndiGo's operational integrity."


Now both of India's biggest airlines -- IndiGo and Tata Group's Air India -- are scouting for new CEOs.


Last Dec chaos -- which happened at a time when Russian President Putin was in Delhi for a state visit -- had definitely left stranded passengers extremely angry some of who even today await their refunds for the cancelled flights. But it left the govt furious and Bhatia - then recuperating from a surgery in Switzerland - was also extremely upset. While action against post holders and fines on IndiGo have been initiated, the CEO's resignation is seen as the biggest move by the airline triggered by the Dec chaos.


Signed as "Rahul alias ('Main Hoon Na')", the founder's mail to employees says: "I step into my expanded role of managing the affairs of IndiGo with a deep sense of responsibility not only to the company's customers and its shareholders, but to every employee who powers this airline. I see the resilience in the effort you put in, and I greatly value your dedication. I remain, as I have always been, fully committed to strengthening our culture, reinforcing operational excellence, and ensuring that we continue to deliver exceptional service and value to our customers."


The action, planned for some time by the airline top brass, was waiting for operations to stabilise. "They have to run the airline and couldn't have removed those responsible in one go," said senior officials briefed on the matter.


Elbers' resignation letter to Rahul Bhatia reads: "....due to personal reasons, I herewith submit my resignation from the position of CEO of IndiGo with effect from (Tuesday). I would request that notice period may be waived off.... If the company so desires, obviously, I will be available for any handover or transition otherwise," Elbers had taken over in Sept 2022, when post Covid the domestic leader was eying a similar expansion in the international skies.


Rahul Bhatia's mail adds: "What happened last December should never have taken place.... Our customers didn't deserve it and nor did all of you, especially the frontline employees who bore most of the brunt for no fault of theirs.... I wish to place on record my indebtedness to all my colleagues who carried the Company's cross with grace and dignity, and ploughed through steepless nights to restore IndiGo's operational integrity," he says.

The airline informed BSE that Elbers " will be relieved from the service of the company effective close of business hours on March 10, 2026."


Now as Shah Rukh Khan's character of Rahul in Main Hoon Na - which Bhatia used as his alas in the mail - the airline which will turn 20 this August looks to return to what it took pride in - operational excellence.