IndiGo CEO Says Three Days Don’t Define 20 Years After 2025 Flight Chaos

IndiGo Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers has acknowledged the airline’s operational failures during the widespread flight disruptions in late 2025, while stressing that the three days of chaos do not define the carrier’s 20‑year legacy and long‑term performance in India’s aviation market.

Speaking at the Wings India 2026 Summit in Hyderabad, Elbers was candid about the impact of the December 3–5 disruptions, when severe weather, operational stress and scheduling challenges led to the cancellation of 2,507 flights and delays to 1,852 others, affecting more than 300,000 passengers across India. “We let our customers down on those three days, and we apologise,” he said, emphasising that the airline took responsibility and implemented corrective steps to restore stable operations.

Elbers detailed the timeline of recovery, noting that swift corrective measures helped IndiGo begin network stabilisation within a few days. “On the fifth day, we began resetting our network. We took a deep cut for the days thereafter and started rebuilding. By the ninth day, we were back to stable operations,” he said, adding that the carrier returned to carrying nearly 370,000 to 380,000 passengers daily — figures consistent with its typical pre‑disruption performance.

Despite the turbulence of late 2025, Elbers urged stakeholders and observers not to judge IndiGo’s entire 20‑year trajectory by a short period of operational difficulty. “We cannot let three days go by, and if you want to make it seven days, define what IndiGo has built over 20 years,” he said, highlighting the airline’s long‑term achievements since its launch. Over two decades, IndiGo has transformed from a domestic low‑cost startup into one of the world’s largest airline operators, carrying more than 124 million passengers in the prior year alone.

Elbers underscored IndiGo’s expanding operational footprint, noting that the airline operates more than 2,200 daily flights across 141 destinations and maintains a fleet of about 440 aircraft. He pointed out that India’s aviation market has grown significantly beyond pre‑COVID levels, with the airline’s network extending deeper into tier‑II and tier‑III cities and driving connectivity across the country.

The CEO also referenced India’s broader aviation recovery compared to global peers. “When other parts of the world are still struggling and are just slightly above pre‑COVID levels, India is now significantly above pre‑COVID levels in aviation growth,” he said, framing the 2025 disruption as an isolated operational setback cast against a backdrop of sustained market growth.

Earlier investigations by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) resulted in penalties totalling ₹22.20 crore on IndiGo as part of the regulatory response to the flight disruptions. These penalties reflect compliance and oversight outcomes emerging from the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s comprehensive inquiry into the airline’s operational handling and passenger impact.

Elbers said lessons drawn from the incident were informing new operational planning, capacity management and resilience strategies going into 2026. The focus, he explained, is on improving scheduling robustness, weather‑related contingency protocols, crew and aircraft management alignment, and enhancing customer communication during irregular operations.

He framed these adjustments as part of IndiGo’s evolution toward becoming “one of the largest operators in the world and an airline that matches the size, potential and opportunity of India,” reiterating the airline’s commitment to service reliability, growth and stakeholder trust.

By highlighting both accountability for the 2025 operational failures and confidence in the airline’s foundational strength, Elbers sought to balance reflection with forward‑looking industry leadership — a message aimed at regulators, partners and travellers alike.