IndiGo’s new CEO Willie Walsh takes charge at a crucial time as India’s largest airline looks to accelerate global expansion and improve passenger experience. A LocalCircles survey of over 18,000 IndiGo passengers found that 54 per cent reported customer service issues in the last 12 months, while food quality, timeliness and communication remained key concerns
IndiGo may have regained operational stability after its December 2025 scheduling crisis, but improving passenger experience remains a key challenge for the airline’s new leadership. A survey of IndiGo passengers has found that 54 per cent of fliers experienced customer service issues in the last 12 months, putting the spotlight on one of the biggest challenges before new CEO Willie Walsh.
Walsh officially took charge as Chief Executive Officer of IndiGo on Monday, succeeding Pieter Elbers, who stepped down in March following the airline’s operational disruption late last year. Managing Director Rahul Bhatia had served as interim CEO since Elbers’ departure.
As IndiGo enters its third decade, Walsh takes over an airline that remains India’s largest carrier by market share but is looking to expand internationally, strengthen operational discipline and improve passenger satisfaction.
“His extensive global experience in the aviation industry, combined with his operational and strategic expertise, will be instrumental as IndiGo accelerates its international expansion strategy,” Bhatia said while welcoming Walsh.
Customer experience remains a weak spot
The leadership transition comes as IndiGo continues to face passenger concerns despite improving flight operations.
More from BusinessAccording to a LocalCircles survey of over 18,000 IndiGo passengers across more than 313 districts, customer service emerged as the biggest concern among travellers.
Around 54 per cent of respondents said they experienced customer service issues while flying IndiGo in the last 12 months.
Other major concerns included food quality, timeliness, staff behaviour and communication.
The survey found:
| Issue reported by IndiGo passengers | Share of respondents |
|---|---|
| Customer service | 54% |
| Food quality | 40% |
| Timeliness | 37% |
| Staff attitude and courteousness | 32% |
| Information, timeliness and transparency | 32% |
| Onboard entertainment system | 28% |
| Baggage handling | 18% |
| Aircraft quality and maintenance | 9% |
Customer service complaints have worsened sharply, rising from 32 per cent in 2025 to 54 per cent currently, according to the survey.
Food-related dissatisfaction has also increased, with complaints over onboard food rising from 23 per cent in 2025 to 54 per cent in 2026.
Operational recovery after December crisis
IndiGo’s new CEO takes charge after the airline faced one of its biggest operational disruptions in December 2025.
The crisis followed the implementation of revised pilot flight duty and rest time regulations, which disrupted crew scheduling. According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, IndiGo cancelled 2,507 flights and delayed 1,852 flights over three days, affecting more than three lakh passengers.
The disruption triggered regulatory scrutiny and forced the airline to review its operational planning.
However, IndiGo has since recovered its punctuality levels.
The airline’s on-time performance (OTP) had fallen to 8.5 per cent during the crisis but recovered to around 67.7 per cent by early February 2026, LocalCircles survey said.
The improvement continued through the year, with IndiGo recording 82.8 per cent OTP in May 2026 and around 89.4 per cent on-time performance across the 10 busiest airports in June.
The recovery also helped IndiGo regain recognition among Asia-Pacific’s most punctual airlines. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, IndiGo ranked sixth among the region’s top 10 airlines for punctuality in 2025, with an OTP rate of 78.12 per cent.
Market leader faces profitability pressure
Despite operational challenges, IndiGo continues to dominate Indian aviation.
According to LocalCircles survey, the airline held a 66.3 per cent share of India’s domestic aviation market in June 2026 and carried 89.2 lakh passengers during the month.
However, Walsh inherits the airline at a time when profitability remains under pressure.
InterGlobe Aviation, IndiGo’s parent company, reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 238 crore for the quarter ended June 30, compared with a profit of Rs 2,176 crore in the same period a year earlier.
Revenue from operations increased 20 per cent year-on-year to Rs 24,584 crore, but higher aviation turbine fuel prices, adverse foreign exchange movements and disruption-related costs weighed on earnings.
Aircraft fuel expenses increased nearly 86 per cent during the quarter.
Leadership changes ahead of Walsh’s tenure
Walsh takes charge after several changes in IndiGo’s senior leadership team.
After Elbers’ exit in March, Rahul Bhatia took over as interim CEO.
The airline also appointed former Air India Express chief Aloke Singh as Chief Strategy Officer in March to lead long-term strategic planning and transformation initiatives.
In July, IndiGo appointed Kiran Thadimarri as Chief Financial Officer, replacing Gaurav Negi, who moved into an advisory role.
The leadership reshuffle comes as IndiGo prepares for its next phase of growth, including expanding its international network and strengthening its position as a global low-cost carrier.
Passenger expectations from new CEO
While operational performance has improved, the survey highlights that IndiGo’s customer-facing systems remain an area requiring attention.
Complaints related to timeliness have declined from 54 per cent in 2025 to 37 per cent currently, reflecting improved reliability, LocalCircles survey said.
Issues related to staff attitude and courteousness have also fallen from 54 per cent to 32 per cent.
Baggage-related complaints declined from 42 per cent to 18 per cent, while dissatisfaction with aircraft quality and maintenance dropped from 27 per cent to 9 per cent.
However, passengers continue to demand better complaint resolution, faster refunds, clearer communication during disruptions and improvements in onboard services.
