‘Worst is behind us’: IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers tells staff as airline moves to stabilise operations

IndiGo Airlines chief executive officer Pieter Elbers has sought to reassure employees that the airline has turned a corner, telling staff that the “worst is behind us” after weeks of widespread flight cancellations and operational turmoil across Indian airports.

In a video message to employees, Elbers saIid IndiGo had restored around 2,200 flights on Thursday, describing the past fortnight as “very challenging” for the airline. He thanked staff for their efforts during the disruption and noted that as of December 9, operations had begun to stabilise.

IndiGo CEO Peter Elbers releases a message for his colleagues, saying, "...The worst is behind us. ⁠As IndiGo employees, we stood tall and united, weathering the storm together, with unwavering support for one another. Thank you to our pilots, cabin crew, airport staff, OCC,… pic.twitter.com/bdMzbVls6y

— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2025

Looking ahead, Elbers urged employees to focus on three priorities: resilience, identifying root causes, and rebuilding the airline. He said IndiGo’s immediate goal is to solidify operations and ensure stability as the industry enters the bad weather and irregular operations (IROPS) season.

“What we witnessed appears to be a compounding effect of several factors, and everyone wants answers,” Elbers said, adding that the airline will undertake a full-scale review of the disruption.

The IndiGo board has appointed an external aviation expert to conduct a comprehensive root cause analysis to understand what led to the large-scale cancellations.

IndiGo crisis: Supreme Court declines plea, points to ongoing High Court proceedings

Elbers also pointed out that similar disruptions have affected large airlines in other parts of the world. Once the analysis is completed, the IndiGo leadership team, including Elbers himself, plans to engage directly with employees to understand the on-ground challenges they faced during the peak of the crisis.

The findings of the root cause analysis, along with staff feedback, will be used to “rebuild the airline in a better way,” Elbers said. He urged employees not to let the events between December 3 and December 5 overshadow what the airline has built over nearly two decades.

“Let these three days not define what we have collectively built over 19 years,” he said.

The reassurance comes after significant regulatory and operational setbacks for the country’s largest airline.

On December 13, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said nearly 90% of IndiGo’s flight operations had returned to normal following days of chaos. The disruptions peaked on December 5 before gradually easing.

IndiGo had grounded thousands of flights nationwide after failing to adequately prepare for stricter safety norms that came into effect in November. Nearly 4,500 flights were cancelled due to poor pilot roster planning, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded and drawing sharp criticism from regulators and travellers alike.

In response, the aviation regulator cut 10% of IndiGo’s domestic winter schedule and reassigned several slots. The airline was criticised for inadequate preparation for revised pilot rest and duty requirements, which led to aircraft being grounded and widespread disruption to travel plans.

Brand IndiGo in Turbulence: 1,200+ flights cancelled, shares slide & govt probe sparks unprecedented reputational crisis

Earlier this month, on December 10, IndiGo also lowered its capacity and passenger unit revenue outlook for the third quarter after scaling back its winter schedule, underscoring the financial impact of the operational crisis even as the airline works to restore stability.