Iata chief and former BA boss Willie Walsh to head IndiGo

Iata head and former British Airways boss Willie Walsh is to take the helm of IndiGo.

He has been named as chief executive of the Indian airline after his tenure at the airline trade body ends on July 31 after five years.

Walsh, Iata director general, ex-chief executive of BA and parent company IAG as well as Aer Lingus, is expected to join Indigo by August 3.

He has been charged with strengthening operational performance with a focus on “transformational initiatives”.

Walsh follows former KLM chief Pieter Elbers, who left Indigo last month after a scheduling issue that forced the cancellation of more than 4,500 flights in December.

Co-founder and managing director Rahul Bhatia, who has been in temporary charge since, said: “As we enter a new phase of transformation, I am delighted to welcome Willie to Indigo.

“He 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.”    

The airline’s chairman Vikram Singh Mehta described Walsh as an “exceptional global aviation leader” with a “stellar” track record of 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 added.

“His appointment will mark a new chapter for Indigo as it continues its journey in one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world.”

Walsh said: “The airline has a strong foundation, a compelling vision and an exceptional reputation.

“The aviation landscape is evolving rapidly and Indigo is extremely well-positioned to be at the forefront of this change.”