Amid gradual return to normalcy, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers' message to staff: 'Stay calm, remain professional' | WATCH

Indigo CEO Pieter Elbers

IndiGo chief executive officer Pieter Elbers on Wednesday told employees that the airline had moved past the worst phase of the recent operational disruption and urged them to remain calm and professional as services stabilise.

In a video message to staff, Elbers said the airline's network had returned to normal after December 9, with operations restored to around 2,200 flights a day. He credited the swift recovery to strong teamwork and IndiGo's operating principles, noting that employees across functions stood united and supported one another through the disruption.

Elbers expressed special appreciation for pilots, cabin crew, airport teams, operations control centre (OCC) personnel, customer service staff and other support teams for their efforts during the challenging period. He described the disruption as the result of a compounding impact of multiple factors rather than a single issue.

VIDEO | In a video message to employees, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said, "Through the storm, we found our wings again. IndiGo has restored a network of 2,200 flights. The airline's focus now is on three things: resilience, root cause analysis, and rebuilding." (Source: Third… pic.twitter.com/8RMWere0px

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 18, 2025

Looking ahead, the CEO said the airline's focus would be on building greater resilience, carrying out a detailed root cause analysis and rebuilding systems where required. He said an external aviation expert has been appointed to conduct a comprehensive review of the disruption.

Acknowledging that airlines globally face similar operational challenges, Elbers said the lessons from such episodes can be used to further strengthen systems. He also said members of the leadership team would visit various stations to directly hear feedback from employees and better understand the difficulties they faced on the ground.

Elbers encouraged staff to avoid speculation and remain composed and professional in their interactions. He said insights from employees, combined with the findings of the root cause analysis, would help make IndiGo stronger.

Referring to the disruption between December 3 and 5, 2025, Elbers said those events would not define the airline's 19-year journey. He highlighted that IndiGo today employs around 65,000 people and has served more than 850 million customers since its inception, while maintaining an unblemished safety record.

Reiterating the airline's commitment to reliability, accessibility, discipline and customer focus, Elbers concluded by telling employees that IndiGo had weathered the storm and was ready to move forward.