India’s largest airline IndiGo on Thursday nominated Isidro Porqueras as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO), subject to regulatory approvals. Porqueras will take over the baton from incumbent Wolfgang Prock-Schauer on November 1st this year.
Prock-Schauer is retiring after leading the airline’s operations for over seven years. He is one of the longest serving expats in Indian aviation who has previously led operations in now defunct carriers including Jet Airways and GoAir.
Porqueras had joined IndiGo as Chief of Transformation in April this year. Prior to that, he led operations at Spanish low-cost airline Volotea. He has over 25 years of experience in the sector.
“As we move towards the next phase of our ambitious growth plans, Isidro will work closely with the leadership team, to build and prioritise our focus areas. His deep expertise in operations and demonstrated success in previous organisations will be instrumental as we continue to execute our strategic vision and expand business in international markets,” said Pieter Elbers, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), IndiGo.
IndiGo operates around 14,000 flights a week. Its domestic market share was 62 per cent as of August 2024.
The evolving landscape of Indian airlines has led to the emergence of crucial roles such as the ‘Chief Transformation Officer’ and ‘Chief Integration Officer’.
Porqueras’ appointment as the chief transformation officer in April carried significance as the airline placed an order with European plane maker Airbus for 30 A350-900 wide-body aircraft the same month.
This could position the airline as a hybrid airline or a full-service carrier similar to Air India.
In June 2023, IndiGo placed the world’s largest aircraft order, securing 500 A320neo family planes from Airbus. These aircraft are expected to be delivered between 2030 and 2035.
The airline is on track to receive about 460 planes by 2030 from its previous deal with airbus. In just over a decade, Airbus is expected to deliver a total of 990 aircraft to the airline.
First Published: Sep 26 2024 | 8:47 PM IST
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