Foreign leadership at a crossroads: IndiGo and Air India face a pivotal succession test

Although the timings differ, both IndiGo and Air India face the need to select new CEOs to oversee the next stages of their expansion strategies.

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers stepped down on 10-Mar-2026, while Air India CEO Campbell Wilson is expected to leave the airline next year when his contract expires.

The pair were hired from overseas carriers within two months of each other in 2022 to lead the Indian airlines through crucial growth phases, so there is a degree of symmetry to their Indian tenures.

Mr Elbers and Mr Wilson both had to contend with a challenging period for India's airline industry. The supply chain crisis, engine maintenance bottlenecks and airspace closures related to various conflicts have all presented headaches.

There has no doubt been extra scrutiny on the two leaders given the fact they are foreigners leading the country's largest airlines, and precedent elsewhere shows that public opinion can turn quickly against executives brought in from overseas carriers.

Both Mr Elbers and Mr Wilson would be fully aware of that fact. Despite the challenges they have faced, they have still managed to make significant advances in their airlines' respective growth agendas.