Indian low-cost carrier Indigo Airlines is undergoing a management change with its president and CEO Bruce Ashby resigning.
Ashby says he will be leaving in this year's fourth quarter and Indigo has appointed Aditya Ghosh as president but adds the airline has yet to appoint a new CEO.
Some news reports have said Ashby will be returning to live in the USA but Ashby says these reports are incorrect although he declines to say which country he will be moving to or what his next career move will be.
Ashby says when he joined Indigo in August 2005 he signed a three-year contract and agreed to stay for the full three years.
But once the contract lapsed "I decided not to renew but to stay on" for a few more months to help with the transition to a new CEO, he adds.
Indigo has a fleet of 19 Airbus A320-family aircraft with two more to be added this year, says Ashby, who claims Indigo is the largest low-cost carrier in India in terms of RPKs.
He says there are no other major personnel changes at the airline and that most of the other management team have been with the carrier since it started.
Ghosh is already familiar with the airline because he sits on the airline's board, is general counsel for the airline's parent company InterGlobe Enterprises and he was involved in the airline's start-up phase.
InterGlobe is an Indian conglomerate that has several information technology businesses.
Ashby says the low-cost airline has proven to be successful thanks to its high quality and affordable service.
"We haven't indulged in any gimmickry such as massages and limo services", he says, adding that Indigo has remained true to the low-cost carrier business model and ensured a hassle free and reliable service for passengers.
Indigo's major low-cost carrier competitors are GoAir, Air Deccan, SpiceJet and JetLite.
Despite having to deal with high fuel prices, Ashby says the future for low-cost carriers in India remains bright because of the broader economic situation in India.
The country has a huge population, incomes are rising, foreign investment is pouring in and alternative modes of transports - namely trains - are unable to match airlines in service, he says.
For more airline information search Air Transport Intelligence, Flight's premium affiliate
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
