Pieter Elbers has stepped down as chief executive officer of IndiGo with immediate effect, the airline said on Tuesday, months after the country’s largest carrier faced its worst-ever operational crisis in December. In a statement, IndiGo’s parent company InterGlobe Aviation Ltd said Managing Director Rahul Bhatia will temporarily assume management of the airline until a new CEO is appointed.

“With immediate effect, Pieter Elbers will be stepping down as InterGlobe Aviation Limited’s (IndiGo) CEO. The Board of Directors would like to thank Pieter for his contribution and service to the organisation, and wishes him well in his future endeavours,” the company said in a statement.

In his resignation letter, dated March 10, to the board of InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, Elbers cited personal reasons for stepping down. “As per our conversation, due to personal reasons, I herewith submit my resignation from the position of CEO of IndiGo with effect from today. I would request that notice period may be waived off,” he wrote. “It has been both an honour and privilege to serve as IndiGo’s CEO these past years, since September 2022, and being a part of the great IndiGo family, its beautiful growth story and the steps we have made together in this,” Elbers added. “If the company so desires, obviously, I will be available for any handover or transition otherwise.”

Elbers took charge of the airline in September 2022 after a long career with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. During his tenure, IndiGo crossed the $10 billion revenue mark, expanded its fleet to more than 440 aircraft, and placed an order for 500 Airbus A320-family aircraft.

However, in December 2025, the airline faced its worst operational disruption. Between December 3 and 5, IndiGo cancelled 2,507 flights and delayed 1,852 flights, affecting more than 300,000 passengers nationwide. The disruptions were linked to new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules for pilots, which were aimed at reducing pilot fatigue by increasing rest periods and limiting night operations. The revised norms were to be implemented in phases from July 1, 2025, with full rollout scheduled for November 1. The aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), later granted temporary relaxations on some provisions until February 10 to help stabilise operations.