What happens when two airlines face turbulence but only one soars?
There is a certain irony in last month’s aviation headlines: it began with IndiGo’s biggest operational meltdown- over 80% of flights cancelled and a near-total reset and ended with the industry consumed by speculation over the replacement of Wilson Campbell, CEO of its largest rival, Air India.
Campbell’s Air India, three years into its five-year Vihaan.AI plan, is yet to see any significant improvements- in customer experience, market share growth or profitability. Meanwhile, Elbers’ Indigo has grown from being India’s biggest airline to now one of the world’s top 5, moving from being an India focused LCC to a global hybrid airline product. Where has it gone wrong for Wilson and Air India?
IndiGo under Pieter Elbers
Under Elbers, IndiGo has gone from strength to strength, executing not one but multiple strategic pivots that once seemed improbable for an LCC: the launch of a frequent-flyer programme, the introduction of a business-class product, and a decisive push into wide-body, long-haul international operations. The results have been unequivocal. Since Elbers took charge, IndiGo’s stock price has risen by roughly 180%. IndiGo now operates more aircraft than Emirates + Singapore Airlines combined (EK 273 + SQ 158 = 431, vs IndiGo at 432)
Air India under Campbell Wilson
Air India’s turnaround was always expected to be complex. What is harder to explain is the lack of visible forward momentum. Fleet upgrades remain slow, aircraft capacity is being pared back, and passenger experience continues to draw criticism. Alongside this, repeated safety and compliance incidents have eroded confidence in execution. Even after absorbing Vistara, the airline has not expanded its footprint — in fact, it has shrunk. Weekly flights fell to roughly 4,800 in November, down from around 5,600 a year earlier, marking a rare case of de-growth during a period meant to signal revival.
The Bottom Line:
Air India’s problems are deeper and require a might of executional co-ordination, financial muscle and good luck to solve. But there is no denying that leadership has been lackluster. Indigo’s quick reset in December from its near operational collapse stood in stark contrast to Air India’s slow and steady bounce back from the Ahmedabad crash.
Would an Air India under a different leadership have done better in acquiring a new fleet, solving experience pinpoints and gaining market share by now? Odds are very high that we will witness a shot at a new Air India leadership very soon.
It's time for the Quest of the Day!
If you had to eliminate all loyalty perks and keep only one, which one would it be and why?
Post your answer on X, LinkedIn or any social media app that you love, and tag two of your work friends to answer this as well! Don’t forget to tag us so that we read your amazing answer ;)