Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo, has been appointed the new Chairman of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Board of Governors (BoG). His one-year term began at the conclusion of the 80th IATA Annual General Meeting in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on 3 June.
Elbers is the 82nd Chair of the IATA BoG. He succeeds RwandAir CEO Yvonne Manzi Makolo who will continue to serve on the BoG.
Elbers appointment follows IATA’s announced that IndiGo will also host the 81st IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit in Delhi, India, on 8-10 June 2025.
“We look forward to gathering the aviation industry in Delhi, India’s gateway city, for the 81st IATA AGM in 2025. It’s been over four decades since the industry came together for an IATA AGM in Delhi. With record aircraft orders, impressive growth, and world-class infrastructure developments, India is firmly on the trajectory to become the world’s third largest aviation market within this decade. With such bright prospects, it’s the perfect time for the IATA AGM to return to India and witness these exciting developments first hand,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
“IndiGo is proud to be host airline for the 81st IATA AGM and looks forward to welcoming the global aviation community to Delhi in 2025. India, becoming the third largest economy within the next few years and leading the fourth industrial revolution with the use of AI, is a nation on the move. India’s rise in the global aviation landscape over the last years has been nothing short of remarkable, said Pieter Elbers, CEO, IndiGo.
“IndiGo has been giving wings to the nation since 2006 and increasingly also expands internationally. Building on aviation as a force for good and India’s unique diversity, we are looking forward to engaging in meaningful dialogues aimed at sculpting the global aviation landscape around important topics such as safety, diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as sustainability, while efficiently delivering the growing global demand for air travel,” he added .
The decision to host the 81st IATA AGM in India was made at the 80th IATA AGM in Dubai. This will be the third time the IATA AGM has convened in Delhi, having previously visited India in 1958 and 1983.
On his appointment as the new IATA Board Chairman , Elbers stated thus , “It is indeed an honor to assume this role at a time when India is emerging as one of the world’s largest and fastest growing civil aviation markets and evolving into a formidable force in the airline industry.
Adhering to IATA’s legacy of aviation as a force for good, we will continue in our focus of highlighting the benefits of aviation in building connections, augmenting trade, tourism and mobility—benefits also so visible in India.
At the same time, it is imperative that we persist in our commitment towards a more diverse, equitable and inclusive and also more sustainable aviation industry, creating positive change for generations to come. IATA plays a pivotal role in establishing global standards; I am eager to continue collaborating with global industry leaders, regulators, and stakeholders towards our collective goals.”
Elbers has over 30 years of broad experience in the aviation industry. He has been CEO of IndiGo since September 2022 and has taken IndiGo on a journey of expansion and internationalization since.
Walsh praised the outgoing Yvonne Manzi Makolo, the outgoing and first woman to serve as IATA Board Chair , for helping to establish Focus Africa as a key initiative to expand aviation’s social and economic benefits on the African continent.
“ And, as our first female BoG Chair, Yvonne has been an inspiration for the 25by2025 initiative to improve aviation’s gender balance,” Walsh added .
He pledged to work closely with the new Board Chair to deliver the industry’s sustainability commitments, address supply chain challenges, and strengthen the global standards critical for our industry’s efficient connectivity.
Chair Elect and Board of Governors Appointments
IATA announced Luis Gallego Martin, Chief Executive Officer, IAG (representing IBERIA), to serve as Chair of the BoG from June 2025, following Elbers’ term.
