IndiGo CEO Elbers Says Aircraft Grounding Crisis Has Peaked

India’s largest airline IndiGo said it’s past the worst of its aircraft-grounding woes and domestic demand for air travel is growing.

“We’ve turned the corner,” Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on Tuesday. 

The number of planes kept on the ground due to issues with Pratt & Whitney engines should fall to less than 50 by March 2025, down from a peak of more than 70, he said.

IndiGo is operated by InterGlobe Aviation Ltd. The airline in recent days posted a surprise loss, its first in two years, weighed down by a higher fuel bill and a rise in maintenance costs. 

Elbers said he expects a “very positive” peak travel season in India and that there’s a “healthy growth pattern” in bookings. “We see very positive momentum again,” he said.