Meet CEO Of IndiGo Airlines, Pieter Elbers, Opens Up About Cancelled Flights, His Net Worth And More

IndiGo Airlines is currently making headlines after the aviation service cancelled several flights, creating chaos. The sudden change in service led to massive protests and complaints regarding misplaced baggage. Multiple videos have surfaced online where passengers shared their inconvenience due to the sudden cancellation of flights. According to the CEO of IndiGo, Pieter Elbers, over 1000 flights have been cancelled to achieve a reboot.

Amid the chaos, people have grown curious to learn more about Pieter Elbers, who had taken over IndiGo Airlines back in 2022. Under his leadership, the airline has reached new heights and earned worldwide recognition. In August 2012, IndiGo became the largest airline in India. Pieter is recognised for his exceptional leadership at IndiGo and holds an experience of over 30 years in the aviation industry. Now, amid the cancelled flights chaos, let’s delve deep in to know more about the strategic leader of IndiGo Airlines, Pieter Elbers.

Pieter Elbers' early life and education

Pieter Elbers was born on May 11, 1970, in Schiedam, Netherlands. According to his LinkedIn profile, Pieter completed his graduation in Logistics at Fontys University of Applied Sciences in 1991. He completed a Master's degree in Business Administration from the Open University of the Netherlands. He also did a short course in Executive Education at Columbia Business School.

Pieter Elbers' illustrious career

Pieter Elbers began his aviation career in 1992. According to his LinkedIn profile, he joined KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in October 1992 as a Ramp supervisor loading at Schiphol airport. In June 1999, he became general manager of KLM abroad. After years of dedication, he secured the rank of Chief Operating Officer in January 2011. After working as the COO of KLM for nearly 4 years, Pieter became the President and CEO of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in October 2014. He continued his service in KLM till June 2022. After one month, he joined IndiGo Airlines. He replaced Ronojoy Dutta in 2022.

Pieter Elbers is a family man and father of three children

According to StarsUnfolded, Pieter is married to Marjolein Elbers. The couple’s marriage date is not publicly available. Marjolein is widely known as Pieter’s wife, but nothing is known about her profession. The couple share three children together.

Pieter Elbers' whopping net worth is more than Rs. 40 crore

According to a report by Aviation A2Z, Pieter got a total compensation of approximately Rs. 11.9 crore when he left KLM. After joining IndiGo, in March 2023, he received 67,150 Performance Stock Units (PSUs), which are worth approximately Rs. 12.52 crore. His annual salary in IndiGo is approximately Rs. 5 crores. His total compensation in IndiGo Airlines, including his salary, PSUs and other bonuses, is nearly Rs. 17 crore. According to StarsUnfolded, Pieter Elbers' net worth is USD 5 million, which is equivalent to Rs. 44.96 crore.

What did Pieter Elbers say about the current massive flight cancellations?

The chaos surrounding IndiGo flights began on December 2, 2025, when flyers complained about delays at Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai airports. The next day, on December 3, 2025, IndiGo cancelled 42 flights from Bengaluru and 32 from Mumbai, as sources told Hindustan Times. The same thing continued on December 4, 2025 and December 5, 2025, as well. On December 5, 2025, the CEO of Indigo Airlines, Pieter Elbers, made a video addressing the current massive flight cancellation chaos. He apologised for the inconvenience caused. He was quoted as saying:

"I, on behalf of all of us at IndiGo, would like to extend our sincerest apologies for the major inconvenience this has caused to many of our customers on account of delays or cancellations."

Pieter highlighted that December 5, 2025, was the most severely affected day as over 1000 flights got cancelled. Usually, IndiGo operates 2,300 domestic and international flights daily. The CEO mentioned that after looking into the whole matter, it can be said that the situation will likely come back to normalcy between December 10, 2025 and December 15, 2025. He was quoted as saying:

"Given the size, scale and complexity of our operations, it will take some time to return to a full normal situation, which we anticipate between 10 and 15 December."

Pieter Elbers' apology video has spread hope among the flyers that the inconvenience caused by massive flight cancellations might get resolved soon. 

Also Read: Who Is IndiGo Co-Founder, Rahul Bhatia's Wife, Rohini Bhatia? Quit As Board Of Director In 2022

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