- Willie Walsh has been named chief executive of IndiGo.
- His current IATA term ends on 31 July 2026.
- IndiGo operates 2,200 flights per day with a 65pc market share in India.
- Pieter Elbers resigned following mass flight cancellations in December 2025.
- Willie Walsh previously served as chief executive of Aer Lingus and British Airways.
Willie Walsh has been named the new chief executive of India’s largest airline IndiGo. The former Aer Lingus chief executive and current head of the International Air Transport Association will take up the role this summer after his term as IATA director general ends on 31 July 2026. IndiGo confirmed the appointment following the resignation of Pieter Elbers earlier this month.
IndiGo operates some 2,200 flights a day and holds about 65 percent market share in India. The airline has more than 400 jets in its fleet and serves 45 international destinations in addition to its extensive domestic network. Elbers stepped down after regulators reprimanded him for inadequate oversight of flight operations and crisis management following mass cancellations in December 2025.
Willie Walsh joined Aer Lingus as a cadet pilot straight from school and rose to become chief executive in 2001. He later led British Airways and created the International Airlines Group. He currently serves as chairman of the Irish tech firm CarTrawler.
