IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers Resigns: What Was His Salary and Total Compensation

Pieter Elbers has resigned as Chief Executive Officer of IndiGo, the airline said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday. Rahul Bhatia will take interim charge of the airline’s management.

The development marks the end of Elbers’s tenure at the airline, which began in September 2022. The company said he will be relieved from service at the close of business hours on March 10, 2026.

“We wish to inform you that the Board of Directors of the Company, at its meeting held today, i.e., March 10, 2026, inter-alia, took note of the resignation tendered by Mr Pieter Elbers, Chief Executive Officer. He will be relieved from the service of the Company effective close of business hours on March 10, 2026. Mr Rahul Bhatia, Managing Director, shall, in the interim, assume management of the affairs of the Company,” IndiGo said in the filing.

Salary and compensation at IndiGo

During his tenure at IndiGo, Elbers received a compensation package that included salary, bonuses and stock based incentives.

According to media reports, his annual salary at the airline was around Rs 5 crore. However, his overall compensation was significantly higher after incentives were added.

As part of his joining agreement, Elbers was granted 67,150 performance stock units. These units were valued at around Rs 12.52 crore when they matured in March 2023. With base salary and bonuses included, his total compensation was estimated at about Rs 17 crore.

Reports also estimate Elbers’s net worth at around USD 5 million, which is roughly Rs 45 crore.

Exit follows operational disruption

Elbers had faced pressure in recent months after the airline dealt with a major operational disruption in December last year.

The crisis led to hundreds of flight cancellations and delays and affected at least three lakh passengers. According to earlier reports citing sources, the airline suffered losses of around Rs 2,000 crore during the disruption.

Following the incident, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation imposed penalties totalling Rs 22.20 crore on IndiGo and initiated additional regulatory action.

In his resignation letter addressed to Rahul Bhatia, Elbers cited personal reasons for stepping down and requested that his notice period be waived.

"It has been both an honour and privilege to serve as IndiGo's CEO these past years," he wrote. "And being a part of the great IndiGo family, its beautiful growth story and the steps we have made together."

Career before IndiGo

Before joining IndiGo, Elbers served as Chief Executive Officer of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

His departure from the airline came before the completion of his third term. Reports at the time suggested tensions within the Air France-KLM group over operational autonomy for KLM.

When he left KLM, Elbers was reported to have received a severance package worth around Rs 11.9 crore before joining IndiGo.