IndiGo appoints former Air India Express MD Aloke Singh as CSO from April 6

IndiGo has appointed former Air India Express MD Aloke Singh as chief strategy officer from April 6, as the airline navigates leadership changes and expansion plans

IndiGo airline on Monday announced the appointment of Aloke Singh as its Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) with effect from April 6. Singh had stepped down as managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Air India Express on March 19 following a five-year stint.

 

The appointment comes at a time when IndiGo is undergoing a leadership churn, after its CEO Pieter Elbers resigned on March 10 with immediate effect, with MD Rahul Bhatia taking over as interim CEO. 

 

Elbers' exit followed an operational crisis in December when the airline cancelled over 4,200 flights between December 1-9, as it lacked sufficient pilots on its rolls to fulfill the stricter flight duty time limitation (FDTL) norms that came into force in November.

 

IndiGo said Singh, in his new role as the CSO, will lead IndiGo’s long-term strategic planning and enterprise-wide transformation initiatives aimed at accelerating growth, improving operational efficiency and strengthening its competitive position. He will work closely with the leadership team on cross-functional priorities to enhance agility and customer experience. 

 

For now, Singh will report to Bhatia and will transition to reporting to the new CEO, whenever he or she is appointed.

 

Welcoming Singh's appointment, Bhatia said, “Aloke brings an exceptional blend of strategic vision and operational depth. His comprehensive understanding of the aviation ecosystem will be invaluable as we build a more agile, resilient and future-ready organisation, and accelerate our next phase of growth.”

 

Singh brings over three decades of experience across strategy, planning, operations and commercial functions in the aviation sector. At Air India Express, he oversaw a period of significant transformation that included the airline’s transition from government to Tata group ownership, a merger with AirAsia India, fleet expansion and a brand overhaul.

 

During his tenure, Air India Express expanded its fleet from 26 aircraft in 2020 to over 100 aircraft and emerged as India’s third-largest narrow-body operator, strengthening its presence particularly on India-Gulf routes. The airline also completed its legal merger with AirAsia India in October 2024, as part of the Tata group’s broader restructuring of its aviation business.