'Saw it coming': 'Open letter' blames IndiGo's top-brass for 'downfall'
What's the story
An unverified open letter from IndiGo pilots has surfaced on social media, blaming the airline's top management for its recent operational failures. The letter, addressed to "fellow citizens" and the "management of IndiGo," accuses at least eight officials, including CEO Pieter Elbers, of causing a massive operational failure that led to chaos at major airports across India over the past week.
Mismanagement claims
Letter details years of mismanagement, exploitation
The letter details years of mismanagement and exploitation at IndiGo, where employee concerns about safety and fatigue were ignored. It also accuses the management of promoting unqualified executives and creating a culture that values titles over talent. The letter claimed that the constant refrain of "we are too big to fail" was the start of "the real rot," to the point where "titles became more important than talent," resulting in incompetent employees filling top positions such as vice president
Letter
'Instead of being heard, some were intimidated'
The letter claims that pilots who raised concerns about fatigue were intimidated instead of being heard. "Pilots raised concerns about fatigue and unsafe duty timings. Instead of being heard, some were called to the head office, intimidated, shouted at, and humiliated. No consequences. No accountability. Just fear. When night duties were doubled, when new rules were implemented, when leaves were taken away-not a single extra rupee was added to compensate for the physical and mental toll," the letter alleged.
Twitter Post
The viral letter
An open letter from @IndiGo6E pilots to people of India. https://t.co/yBr64JXXS7 pic.twitter.com/AXtvkHu6D3
— AWCS (@AeroAwcs) December 6, 2025
Management criticism
Letter criticizes management's response to employee concerns
The letter also criticizes the management's response to employee concerns, saying that when employees questioned untenable conditions, they were met with hostile messages like "You're lucky to have a job" and "Beggars can't be choosers." It alleges that this attitude extended to passengers, who were referred to only as "customers" with the rationale: "If you call them passengers, they'll think they own the airline."
Official accountability
Letter names officials responsible for operational failures
The letter specifically names eight top officials, including Elbers, for the crisis that led to recent operational failures. The list includes Jason Herter, Aditi Kumari, Tapas Dey, Rahul Patil, Isidore Porqueras, Ashim Mitra and Akshay Mohan. It ends with a plea to the central government to intervene by setting minimum wages for ground staff and revisiting fatigue rules with employee representation.
Crisis response
IndiGo forms crisis management group amid operational disruptions
In response to the operational disruptions, IndiGo said its board of directors has formed a high-level crisis management group (CMG). The CMG includes chairman Vikram Singh Mehta and board directors Gregg Saretsky, Mike Whitaker and Amitabh Kant. "The Board of Directors is doing everything possible to take care of the challenges faced by our customers and to ensure refunds on cancellation and offer waivers on cancellation/rescheduling during the period of crisis," the airline said on Sunday.
Regulatory action
DGCA issues show-cause notice to Elbers
On Saturday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a show-cause notice to Elbers over the operational disruptions. The notice points to "significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management" and demands an explanation from Elbers within 24 hours. It said failure to respond to the notice will allow the regulator to decide the matter ex parte.