IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers is staring at the exit door.
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Sources in the civil aviation ministry say the government is seriously considering asking the airline to remove him.
This comes amid the worst operational crisis the carrier has faced in years.
Last week IndiGo cancelled close to 400 flights over four days. Passengers were left stranded.
Many paid ₹80,000-₹1 lakh for one-way tickets on rival airlines.
Social media went into meltdown.
The DGCA slapped a personal show-cause notice on Elbers on December 7.
The language was unusually sharp.
“You have failed in your duty to ensure reliable operations,” the notice said.
He got just 24 hours to reply.
Elbers, 55, took over in September 2022 after a long stint at KLM.
He pushed hard on fleet expansion.
IndiGo added over 100 A320neo aircraft under him.
Market share touched 62 %.
Profits crossed ₹8,000 crore last fiscal.
But crew planning clearly took a back seat.
The airline lost 378 pilots in the first nine months of 2025.
New fatigue rules kicked in.
Crew rostering software threw up errors.
Everything snowballed.
On December 6 Elbers was summoned to Krishi Bhawan.
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu chaired the meeting.
Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha and DGCA chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai were present.
The session lasted two hours.
Elbers was told to fix things fast.
A day later the DGCA issued another notice – this time to COO Isidre Porqueras.
By December 9 the ministry forced IndiGo to cut 10 % of its winter schedule.
That’s roughly 230 flights a day.
An earlier 5 % cut had already been ordered.
Minister Naidu went on television the same evening.
He did not mince words.
“If required we will ask for the CEO’s removal,” he said.
The comment sent shockwaves through Gurugram headquarters.
The board met twice this week.
Rahul Bhatia was present.
One independent director told this correspondent off the record: “Sacking him now will look like panic.
No safety rule was broken.
But the optics are terrible.”
What has raised eyebrows is the ministry’s insistence on personal accountability.
Normally show-cause notices go to the accountable manager – in this case Porqueras.
Targeting the CEO directly is rare.
Elbers appeared before a DGCA panel on December 11.
Four officers grilled him for nearly two hours.
He promised to hire 500 pilots by March 2026.
Refunds are 80 % complete, he claimed.
Another hearing is fixed for tomorrow.
Meanwhile the Competition Commission has started asking questions.
Did IndiGo’s sudden capacity cut distort the market?
Rivals jacked up fares overnight.
The CCI wants to know if passengers were taken for a ride.
A section of pilots has gone public.
They allege the crisis was “managed” to pressure crews on salary revision.
IndiGo rubbished the charge.
Called it baseless.
Chairman Vikram Mehta broke his silence on December 10.
He issued a public apology.
Called the episode “unacceptable”.
Promised an external audit.
Hired a global consultancy to review crew planning systems.
Sources privy to the boardroom discussions say Bhatia is backing Elbers for now.
But the government line is hardening.
One joint secretary told reporters on background: “Someone has to own this mess.”
Interestingly, IndiGo’s share price has fallen 8 % since December 5.
Mutual funds have trimmed positions.
Analysts say prolonged uncertainty over leadership will hurt valuations.
Elbers has not spoken to the media since the crisis began.
His team is sticking to the line that operations are stabilising.
Cancellations are down to under 50 a day.
But the damage to reputation will take months to repair.
The ministry is preparing a detailed report for the Prime Minister’s Office.
Word is the final call on Elbers could come as early as next week.
If he goes, finding a replacement mid-winter schedule will be a nightmare.
IndiGo’s dominance is not in question.
But the manner of this crisis has exposed chinks.
Observers point out that Air India went through a similar purge after the 2020 Kozhikode crash.
Heads rolled.
Systems were overhauled.
Something similar seems to be playing out here – only without a crash.
For now Elbers is still in the corner office on the 12th floor in Gurugram.
But the writing appears to be on the wall.
The next few days will decide whether he stays to fix the mess or becomes the fall guy.
