IndiGo has found in William Walsh a CEO who can steer India’s largest airline locally and globally as well, according to co-founder Rahul Bhatia.
“India represents possibly the last bastion of massive growth in aviation…and I don’t believe we could have found a finer leader to not only proliferate IndiGo’s presence within India” and the immediate neighbourhood, the co-founder and interim chief of IndiGo operator Interglobe Aviation Ltd. told employees in an email on Tuesday (31 March 2026).
“To my mind, IndiGo is privileged to be led by a leader of Mr. Walsh’s stature and track record… I take pride in knowing that…he has placed his belief and confidence in what has been painstakingly builf over the yers by all of you.”
Hindustan Times has seen a copy of the email sent by Bhatia.
IndiGo named Willie Walsh its chief executive officer, hoping the former British Airways leader can help India’s biggest airline recover from one of the nation’s worst aviation crises in December last year.
Walsh, currently director general of the International Air Transport Association, is expected to join no later than 3 August, according to a statement on Tuesday. His tenure at IATA will end on 31 July.
The appointment comes weeks after Pieter Elbers resigned as IndiGo CEO with immediate effect, citing “personal reasons”.
IndiGo flight crisis
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.
The task at hand
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.
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. His 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.
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.
On Monday, IndiGo shares fell 3.80% to ₹3,943.75 apiece on Monday even as the benchmark Sensex ended the day 2.22% lower at 71,947.55 points. The stock is down 20% since the flight crisis in December. India’s stock market was closed on Tuesday on account of Mahavir Jayanti.
