The IATA AGM in June 2025 in Delhi was all about IndiGo flexing its presence. Rival Air India appeared almost sidelined. But the narrative changed at the recent Wings India air show in Hyderabad. IndiGo looked defensive following the December meltdown, while Air India was peddling a resurgent self.
At the Wings India air show in Hyderabad late last month, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers returned to a familiar script. He reiterated his plans to grow the airline’s fleet from about 440 aircraft today to over 600 by the end of the decade, sharply expand passenger traffic and position India’s largest carrier as a global aviation force.
The pitch was no different from what he had said six months earlier at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual general meeting (AGM) in Delhi. But the reception — and the visibly uneven balance of power between India’s two biggest airline chiefs — has shifted noticeably since then.
The pitch was no different from what he had said six months earlier at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual general meeting (AGM) in Delhi. But the reception — and the visibly uneven balance of power between India’s two biggest airline chiefs — has shifted noticeably since then.