IndiGo named Willie Walsh its chief executive officer, hoping the former British Airways leader can help India’s dominant no-frills airline recover from one of the nation’s worst aviation crises.
Walsh, currently director general of the International Air Transport Association, is expected to join no later than Aug. 3, according to a statement by airline owner InterGlobe Aviation Ltd. on Tuesday. His tenure at IATA will end July 31.
The appointment comes weeks after Pieter Elbers resigned as IndiGo’s CEO with immediate effect, citing “personal reasons.” Months earlier, the low-cost carrier was forced to cancel thousands of flights — triggering public outrage, a subsequent plunge in quarterly profit and tighter regulatory oversight.
Read More: How Profit Pursuit Led to India’s Top Airline Unraveling
IndiGo was blamed for not sufficiently preparing for new pilot rest rules, which cascaded into massive chaos. 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.
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.
Walsh became CEO of British Airways in 2005 and then took over the carrier’s parent company, IAG SA, in 2011.
After leaving IAG in 2020, he joined the leading aviation association and lobbied on behalf of global airlines concerning environmental and manufacturing issues.
This report is auto-generated from Bloomberg news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.