IndiGo should remain disciplined, resilient: CEO Willie Walsh tells staff

New Delhi, IndiGo should remain agile, disciplined and resilient as the current operating environment is increasingly becoming dynamic with evolving airspace challenges, supply chain constraints and changing global conditions, the airline's CEO Willie Walsh said on Tuesday.

Walsh, who took charge as the CEO on Monday, addressed the staff for the first time during a townhall.

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The country's largest airline, which has a domestic market share of over 66 per cent, completed 20 years of flying on Tuesday.

"What excites me even more is the opportunity before us. As new aircraft join the fleet and our international network continues to expand, IndiGo will connect India with more destinations across the world than ever before...," he said while addressing the employees for the first time after assuming charge as the CEO.

A trained pilot and an aviation industry leader, Walsh emphasised that India's aviation story is still unfolding and that he firmly believes its greatest opportunities lie ahead.

IndiGo has more than 900 planes on order and the wide-body A350 aircraft are expected to join its fleet from 2028.

"Leadership begins with listening and I'm here to listen and learn from all of you," Walsh told the employees.

An Irish national, Walsh has taken over the reins of IndiGo at a time when the airline is preparing to further strengthen its domestic network and accelerate international connectivity.

"The environment in which we operate today is becoming increasingly dynamic. Aviation today faces evolving airspace challenges, supply chain constraints and changing global conditions and these realities require us to remain agile, disciplined and resilient," he said.

According to him, in many ways, the story of IndiGo is a reflection of India's own growth and aspirations, emerging as an important enabler of the country's economic and social progress.

"And as someone who spent my entire career in aviation I know just how difficult it is to build an airline.

"Many have tried and few actually succeeded and to put it into context in the last 10 years alone 408 airlines have failed. So what you have achieved is absolutely remarkable. It's an industry that demands excellence every single day where there are no shortcuts and where success is earned through discipline, teamwork and consistency," he said.

An Irish national, Walsh is now at the helm of IndiGo after completing his tenure as the Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on July 31.

The appointment of Walsh was announced by IndiGo on March 31, less than three weeks after the sudden exit of Pieter Elbers against the backdrop of massive operational disruptions at the airline in December last year.

The airline employs over 68,000 people.

Currently, IndiGo has more than 430 planes and operates nearly 2,200 flights daily.

In a release on Tuesday, IndiGo said it remains focused on disciplined growth, with plans to operate nearly 3,000 daily departures, serve nearly 200 million passengers annually and expand its fleet to more than 550 aircraft by 2030.

IndiGo Managing Director Rahul Bhatia, last week, said Walsh's extensive global experience in the aviation industry, combined with his operational and strategic expertise, will be instrumental as IndiGo accelerates its international expansion strategy. PTI