NEW DELHI: Petrus Elbers has joined IndiGo as the chief executive officer (CEO) with effect from Tuesday. Elbers replaced Ronojoy Dutta, 71, who is set to retire on September 30, 2022.
The change of guards at India’s largest carrier comes at a time when competition in the civil aviation space is expected to heat up with the arrival of budget carrier Akasa Air and a renewed Air India under the cash-rich Tata Group (which also operates Vistara and AirAsia India).
Prior to joining IndiGo, Elbers served as the president and chief executive officer of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and also as a member of the executive committee of the Air France ‘ KLM Group.
Year 2022 has been quite turbulent for IndiGo. In early February, the airline appointed co-founder Rahul Bhatia as managing director with immediate effect then in mid-February, co-founder Rakesh Gangwal tendered his resignation from the company’s board, giving a fresh twist to the long tussle between the two promoters. In recent times, the airline faced massive criticism following its employees’ protest over salary restoration and a section of cabin crew queuing up to join Air India that delayed a large number of its flights.
According to industry experts, Elbers will have a challenging task in defending IndiGo’s 55-58% share in the domestic market and guiding the airline to become a major player in Asian and European market. Add to this, he will have to restore employees’ confidence in the airline and churn profit despite record rise in jet fuel prices.