The history of IndiGo is like Nitish! Not for the first time, a company has come from sky to earth, this story will surprise you

IndiGo Airlines Row: For the last one week, there have been dark clouds over the blue sky of Indigo Airlines. More than 550 flights were canceled in just one day and the result was that all the airports across the country started looking like a busy railway station. There is a flood of anger among the passengers due to repeated ‘Flight Cancelled’ on the announcement speaker and related information on social media.

118 flights were stopped in the financial capital Mumbai, 100 in Bengaluru, 75 in Hyderabad and dozens in other big cities. Things got so bad that IndiGo’s once proud on-time performance dropped to 19.7%. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation immediately called top officials of the company.

IndiGo’s story is like Nitish!

The company’s CEO Peter Albers clearly told the employees that it will not be easy to get back the trust we have built. But the history of Indigo and the story of its celestial flight is more or less similar to that of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. Why are we saying this? Let us know…

How did Indigo become a star in the sky?

Amidst the current chaos, it is important to remember that IndiGo is not just an airline, it is one of the biggest success stories of Indian aviation. In 2005, Rahul Bhatia and Rakesh Gangwal came together to shape a dream that had no pretense, no business class glitz. It was just a simple idea. On-time flights, lower costs and greater reliability were the hallmarks.

Surprised before the first flight!

The world was shocked when the company ordered 100 Airbus A320 even before its first flight. Its first flight started in 2006 and within a few years, Indigo started dominating the Indian skies, leaving behind big companies like Air India, Jet and Kingfisher.

This was Indigo’s biggest strength

By placing historic orders for 300 planes in 2019 and 500 planes in 2023, IndiGo proved its long-term game. IndiGo’s main strength lay in its business model. Identical fleet, faster turnaround, cash flow from sale-and-leaseback, and revenue from extra charges like bags, seats and meals instead of ticket sales. When Kingfisher drowned in luxury and Jet Airways found it difficult to manage expenses. Indigo then established trust as its identity.

Indigo Flight (Source- Social Media)

Played big bet in Covid call also

After this, when the entire aviation sector came to a standstill during COVID, IndiGo changed the fastest. Some ships were converted into cargo planes. Increased focus on small towns. The result of which was that the company returned to profit in 2022-23. Additionally it became the first airline in India to fly 100 million passengers in a single year.

Ruckus between Bhatia and Gangwal!

Meanwhile, cracks appeared in the partnership between founders Bhatia and Gangwal. Gangwal demanded better governance, while Bhatia wanted control. This feud became public and Gangwal sold his share by 2025. Despite this breakdown, Indigo continued to grow rapidly.

IndiGo is in trouble again

Today it controls about 64% of the domestic market and is set to make a major entry internationally with wide-body planes like the A350 and Boeing 777. But the current crisis has once again reminded us that even China’s armored bird flying high in the sky cannot avoid mistakes.

Indigo’s path will not be easy

New duty time regulation, crew shortage and winter crowd, these three reasons together brought IndiGo to a complete halt. The government has withdrawn regulations for a period of time to allow operations to recover. But the path ahead is not going to be easy for Indigo.

Will Indigo make a strong comeback again?

Because Air India’s strong comeback, rising costs and global uncertainties pose new challenges to IndiGo’s dominance. However, after reading this story and the history of Indigo, you must be feeling that Indigo always faces difficulties and comes back flying high.

Why is there a story like Nitish Kumar?

Late senior journalist Sankarshan Thakur has also written about the Chief Minister of Bihar in his book ‘Akela Aadmi: Story of Nitish Kumar’ that whenever Nitish Kumar was considered the weakest or he became weak, he made a strong comeback on the very next occasion. The latest example of this has also been seen in the recent assembly elections.

Also read: Arbitrary air fares will be curbed…Government becomes strict amid IndiGo crisis, fare cap implemented on all routes

Before and during the assembly elections held in Bihar, it was being said about Nitish Kumar and his party JDU that this time the party would be destroyed. Nitish Kumar’s career is over. But when the election results came, JDU silenced everyone by winning 85 seats and Nitish Kumar is once again present on the chair of CM of Bihar.