India’s biggest airline IndiGo may start rehiring in three months

On December 23, 2020, IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta announced that the company could start slowly rehiring staff in three months, as the airline sees fast recovery in domestic air travel. International air travel still remains a challenge and the recovery is expected by the end of 2021.

In the interview with Bloomberg Television, IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta said that the international air travel recovery would possibly take longer due to international travel chaos, border closures or new virus mutations. “We are anxious to get back into the international game in a big way and we have lots of plans for rapid growth,” Dutta said.

However, unlike international air travel, IndiGo domestic capacity is likely to reach pre-pandemic levels by January 2021. In July 2020, the airline laid off approximately 10% of its workforce. As the airline is gradually recovering, the slow rehiring process is expected to start in three months. 

“Doom and gloom is off the table and we are recovering pretty nicely, especially domestically,” Dutta added. “The airline’s strategy remains focused on reducing costs and rapidly growing its operations.”

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In December 2020, IndiGo announced its plan to surrender the “leave without pay” scheme within all company’s departments, marking a start of slow recovery. “At this point of time, it looks like we are on a path to a graduated and measured recovery,” Dutta wrote in an email to employees. 

Despite huge aviation sector’s losses amid muted demand, IndiGo was in preliminary discussions with Pratt & Whitney and CFM International to place a USD 10 billion jet engine order in November 2020. However, there was no specific timeline when a deal would be finalised.