Pieter Elbers on Tuesday, September 6, took charge as the CEO of InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, the parent firm of IndiGo airline.
Born in Schiedam in The Netherlands, Elbers holds a bachelor's degree in logistics management and a master's degree in business economics.
Elbers started his career at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in 1992 and went on to become its CEO in 2014.
He started off as an aircraft loading manager at KLM's Schiphol hub. He held several posts in both The Netherlands and overseas in Japan, Italy and Greece.
When he returned to The Netherlands, he was appointed senior vice-president of network and alliances, and in 2011 he was promoted to the chief operating officer (COO).
He then served as the president and CEO of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and was also a member of the executive committee of the Air France-KLM group. He is credited for turning KLM into an innovative and financially healthy airline.
Elbers was appointed as the IndiGo CEO in May this year. "What IndiGo’s employees and leadership have jointly built, since its start 16 years ago, is, by any standard, truly impressive. I am very honoured and do look forward to build upon this, working together with the entire IndiGo team. I am delighted to become a part of the next stage of IndiGo’s incredible journey, further fulfilling the vision of what the airline can do and will be for its customers and for India," he had said in May.
IndiGo, one of the largest budget airlines in the country, now faces challenges from new entrant Akasa Air and the resurgent Air India. Fuel rates as well as weakness in the rupee are also concerns.
Even though it recorded its highest ever quarterly revenue of Rs 12,855.3 crore in the April-June period this fiscal, it still reported a net loss of Rs 1,064.2 crore, due to headwinds caused by the depreciating rupee and higher fuel prices.
At present, IndiGo operates 1,500 flights on a daily basis. It has a fleet of 276 aircraft that fly to 74 domestic and 25 international destinations. The airline aims to expand its international network by offering non-stop offerings in all major cities within 7-8 hour air distance from Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Kolkata.
Elbers succeeds Ronojoy Dutta, who guided the airline through the turbulent COVID period. "IndiGo minds its own business. We don’t do anything because of the competition. We look at our business model which is very strong. We look at our opportunities which are very big. We look at our abilities which are very deep and we say let’s do it. So that’s what we are doing. Other people will do their own thing, but we mind our own business and maximise our opportunities,” Dutta had told CNBC-TV18 last month, commenting on the latest entrant Akasa Air.
