IndiGo’s global vision mirrors India’s growth: CEO Elbers

Pieter Elbers, chief executive officer of IndiGo
| Photo Credit:
ANINDITO MUKHERJEE

Airline major IndiGo has embarked on a journey to contribute to India’s growth story by developing a resilient global network to meet the needs of the fastest-growing large economy in the world, the airline’s Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers told businessline.

Speaking exclusively to businessline, Elbers said IndiGo’s growth plans reflect India’s own economic trajectory.

According to him, the country is expected to become the third-largest economy in the world by 2027, and aviation will play a crucial role in driving this development.

“When I was approached by the founder and promoter of the company (Rahul Bhatia) in 2022, he asked me, ‘Are you in for the opportunity to develop a market that is probably the last frontier of global aviation development?’” Elbers recalled, adding that India was long regarded as a difficult place to operate and a challenging market.

“Now, the world comes and sees how India is changing in terms of airlines,” he added.

He pointed out that Indian consumers have gone through different stages of transportation development — from trains to planes, from choosing the “cheapest fare” to opting for “stretch fare,” and from travelling domestically to flying internationally.

“Our airlines should be a reflection of all the ambition that India embodies — growing with it, being an integral part of its progress, and to some extent, acting as both an accelerator and a beneficiary of that growth,” he said.

Apart from building a robust airline, Elbers recently navigated IndiGo through a “tough time” due to the closure of Pakistan’s airspace and ongoing border hostilities.

These geopolitical developments led to the cancellation of around 170 flights.

As a result, the airline, Elbers noted, had to readjust its plans in response to the evolving situation.

The airline has since successfully resumed domestic operations to 11 airports that were suspended due to hostilities with Pakistan.

“We cancelled, pretty much overnight, our operations to 11 stations, cancelling a total of 170 flights… People had a tough time, a difficult time. They were right in the centre of where everything was happening,” he said.

“But then, when the flights started operating again, people were back on duty, back at their jobs.”

Moreover, the closure of Pakistan’s airspace had raised doubts about IndiGo’s ability to proceed with its international expansion plans.

However, these concerns were put to rest with the announcement of flight schedules to European cities such as Manchester and Amsterdam.

IndiGo has also announced plans to launch flights to 10 new international destinations, including London, Athens, and Copenhagen, among others.

businessline was the first to report that the airline remains undeterred by recent geopolitical developments and will proceed with its European expansion plans.

Elbers emphasised that IndiGo’s goal is to build a self-reliant, direct flight network for India, catering to the growing demand for international air travel.

“We have started the strategy towards ‘new heights and across new frontiers,’” he said.

“Our ambition really is that by 2030, when India is firmly the third-largest economy in the world… our airline should be a reflection of all the ambition India embodies.”

The airline is also expanding its fleet, with the introduction of Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 aircraft expected to play a key role in supporting its long-haul operations.

IndiGo has increased its order of widebody Airbus A350 aircraft and entered into partnerships with Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines, and Virgin Atlantic as part of its international expansion plan.

The airline had ordered 30 Airbus A350 aircraft last year, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2027. IndiGo has now confirmed an additional order for 30 more aircraft, further reinforcing its international growth ambitions.

In addition, the tie-up with Delta and its European partners will offer IndiGo passengers connections to over 30 destinations across Europe and the US.

While the partnership is expected to help IndiGo improve occupancy on its Amsterdam and Manchester flights, it will also enable Delta and its European partner airlines to better compete with Air India and Emirates, which currently hold the highest market share on India–US and India–Europe routes.

“All in all, we are taking these steps (tie-ups). Whatever we have been doing since 2022 is laying the foundation and building towards what we aim to become by 2030,” he added.

Published on June 3, 2025