IndiGo appoints William Walsh as new CEO

New Delhi: IndiGo on Tuesday appointed William Walsh, the Director General of International Air Transport Association (IATA), as its new CEO subject to regulatory approvals, three weeks after Pieter Elbers quit following the airline's service went into a tailspin last December following mismanagement.

The decision was taken by the Board of InterGlobe Aviation Limited, which runs IndiGo, and Walsh is expected to "join no later than" August 3.

Walsh, whose term in IATA is coming to end on July 31, started as a pilot, COO and then CEO of Aer Lingus (2000-2005) and later moved to British Airways as CEO (2005-2011), CEO of IAG (2011-2020) and to IATA.

Walsh said, "the airline has a strong foundation, a compelling vision and an exceptional reputation. What stands out most to me are its people, their passion, professionalism and commitment. The aviation landscape is evolving rapidly, and IndiGo is extremely well-positioned to be at the forefront of this change."

In his new role, an IndiGo statement said, Walsh will be responsible for the overall management and strategic direction of the airline with a focus on transformational initiatives to strengthen the operational performance, advance the company’s network and commercial strategy while enhancing customer experience.

He will work closely with the Board and the leadership team to rightfully position IndiGo as it scales up to the next phase of its growth, it said.

His entry into IndiGo comes three months after the airline witnessed one of its worst crises when it witnessed cancellation of its 2,507 flights and delays of 1,852 flights between December 3 and 5, inconveniencing thousands of fliers, as the airline could not assign adequate crew to operate services due to revised Flight Duty Time Limitation, which allowed enhanced rest time for pilots.

After Elbers' resignation, IndiGo Managing Director Rahul Bhatia had taken charge of the management of affairs in the company as an "interim" measure.

IndiGo Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta said Walsh is an exceptional global aviation leader with a stellar track record of outstanding leadership across several airlines. His experience in managing large scale airline operations and navigating complex market dynamics make him ideally suited to strengthen and lead IndiGo for continued growth in an ever evolving and competitive international aviation environment, he said.

Bhatia said the new CEO is an iconic and accomplished aviation leader and brings a rare combination of global perspective, operational expertise of having built strong customer-focused airlines, deep industry experience and a values driven leadership, making him exceptionally suited to lead IndiGo at this pivotal cusp of growth.

"Walsh is widely considered as one of the most successful, respected, influential and long-lasting leaders in modern aviation history. He is admired for his pragmatic and resolute management, effective complex restructuring, and successful mergers and acquisitions," the IndiGo statement said.