Co‑founder and Managing Director Rahul Bhatia will now assume interim management of the airline until a new CEO is appointed, with the company signaling that a permanent successor will be named “in due course.” Elbers, a former KLM chief whom Bhatia personally recruited in 2022, had been tasked with transforming IndiGo from a domestic low‑cost giant into a more globally‑oriented, service‑enhanced carrier, overseeing network expansion, international‑fleet growth, and brand‑upgrade initiatives. His departure, however, comes amid a bruising period in which the airline canceled or delayed thousands of flights, faced heavy passenger backlash, and saw profit drop sharply, leaving questions about how the new leadership setup will stabilize operations and repair IndiGo’s public image.

For the Indian aviation sector, Elbers’ sudden exit underlines the intense pressure on front‑line airline leaders when systemic issues—pilot‑scheduling rules, aging fleets, and infrastructure bottlenecks—collide with high‑speed growth. The decision to hand interim control back to Bhatia, a long‑standing owner‑operator familiar with the airline’s fractious relationships with suppliers, regulators, and employees, suggests a preference for continuity and internal trust during a period of reputational recovery. As IndiGo searches for a new CEO, the industry will be watching closely to see whether the airline doubles down on cost‑driven expansion or shifts toward a more balanced, reliability‑centric strategy aimed at regaining traveler confidence.

Key Points

• IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers has stepped down with immediate effect, citing personal reasons, after a three‑and‑a‑half‑year run.

• The airline’s managing director and co‑founder, Rahul Bhatia, takes interim charge as IndiGo begins its search for a new CEO.

• The resignation follows a major December 2025 operational crisis that led to thousands of cancellations and a sharp profit drop.

Bottom Line: Elbers’ departure marks a pivotal moment for IndiGo, forcing the airline to reconcile rapid growth with operational resilience as it transitions leadership amid ongoing scrutiny from regulators, passengers, and the highly competitive Indian aviation market.

In a statement, AHLA announced Rogers’ resignation, stating that he “resigned last Friday to pursue other professional interests.”

Rogers had joined AHLA as its chief executive in 2019, transitioning from his role as the president and CEO of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), where he had served for five years.

AHLA’s board of directors is now forming a committee to search for candidates to fill the CEO position. They will also be enlisting the services of an executive search firm to assist in the process.

Kevin Carey, who has been AHLA’s COO since 2017, will continue in his role while also serving as the interim president/CEO.

AHLA boasts a membership of over 30,000 hotels.

The Hall of Leaders recognition is reserved for individuals making sustained and notable contributions that positively shape the travel industry and elevate industry-wide standards, as per the U.S. Travel Association.

Geoff Freeman, President, and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, expressed admiration for the impactful contributions of both honorees, stating, “Elliott and Peter each have created a lasting impact across the travel industry while successfully leading organizations that better the communities they serve.”

Elliott Ferguson, at the helm of Destination DC since 2009, has played a pivotal role in fostering economic development through tourism. He has also been actively involved in philanthropy, notably through the American Experience Foundation, Destination DC’s affiliated non-profit. Reflecting on Ferguson’s leadership, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser remarked, “Elliott has helped tell our story and share with the world what we already know: that Washington, DC, is the greatest city in the world.”

Peter Herschend, a key figure in the early days of Brand USA, has been instrumental in Missouri’s infrastructure projects. His contributions extend beyond the travel industry, with notable roles in environmental initiatives such as Ozarks Water Watch and the Upper White River Basin Foundation. Missouri Governor Michael L. Parson praised Herschend, stating, “Peter is a true champion of Missouri who always works to do right by our state and people.”

All three honorees, including the 2022 Hall of Leaders recipient Roger Dow, will be celebrated by the U.S. Travel board of directors at a dinner in Washington, D.C., on November 15, marking a momentous occasion in recognition of their invaluable contributions to the travel industry.

The announcement came amidst the U.S. Travel Association’s annual Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations (ESTO) conference, a gathering attended by over 1,000 destination marketing professionals. This year, the conference was held in Savannah, GA. The award is determined by the National Council of State Tourism Directors, representing the official tourism offices of all U.S. states and territories. The honoree is chosen through a vote conducted ahead of the ESTO event.

Taking the helm of Michigan’s destination marketing organization in July 2015, Lorenz orchestrated a significant revival of the state’s tourism industry. His innovative marketing campaigns showcased Michigan’s spirit of inclusivity, fostering community engagement while leading efforts to enhance accessible travel options. Notably, these endeavors generated substantial returns on investment for the state.

Lorenz adeptly adjusted Travel Michigan’s marketing strategy in 2022 to align with the competitive landscape of post-pandemic domestic leisure travel. An external study revealed that Travel Michigan’s advertising influenced nearly 2.1 million leisure trips to the state in 2022, contributing to a total spending of $3.1 billion and generating over $195 million in state tax revenue. This translated to an impressive 11:1 return on investment, marking the highest in Travel Michigan’s history.

In addition to his marketing prowess, Lorenz is a prominent advocate for enhancing accessibility for both visitors and residents. He spearheaded the development of a website showcasing accessible travel options within the state and initiated a grant program to incentivize local destinations to improve accessibility for disabled travelers.

Community engagement emerged as a cornerstone of Lorenz’s achievements, as he spotlighted Michigan’s distinct culture and attractions. Local musicians and voices were prominently featured in Travel Michigan’s commercials and digital campaigns, reflecting his commitment to showcasing the state’s essence.

Lorenz’s leadership extends to the realm of sustainable travel, as he actively champions the expansion of electric vehicle infrastructure throughout Michigan.

Beyond his role with Travel Michigan, Lorenz holds positions of influence on various boards and associations, including the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for the U.S. Travel Association. He also serves as Chair of Great Lakes USA and Cruise the Great Lakes, and is a board member of multiple tourism-related organizations.

Lorenz’s background includes experience in partnerships, promotions, and radio broadcasting, with a 14-year tenure in the latter field.

The nominees for State Tourism Director of the Year are put forth by state and territory tourism directors. From these nominations, a trio of finalists is presented annually, with the recipient chosen through a ballot vote.

What they said:

“Dave is a tremendous steward of Michigan’s diverse and thriving travel industry,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman. “His dynamic approach to marketing the Great Lakes State has been highly successful, creating meaningful benefits for the economy and people of Michigan in an increasingly competitive domestic travel market.”

“As we continue to highlight the tremendous opportunity Michigan offers as a destination to live, work and visit for families of all backgrounds, the work to market the state through the Pure Michigan campaign and efforts of the Travel Michigan team has been critical to changing perceptions and welcoming all people to our state,” said Quentin L. Messer, Jr., CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “Dave’s passion for the industry and his love for Michigan have helped to guide Pure Michigan into a nationally recognized brand bringing economic impact across both of our beautiful Michigan peninsulas.”

The Spanish business that develops software for the aviation sector announced Gilliland’s appointment as CEO on November 14, 2022. Gilliland succeeds Jim Davidson, who will assume the position of vice chairman.

The software investment group Vista Equity Partners purchased Accelya in 2019. Using this investment, Accelya acquired Farelogix in 2020. Accelya has around 250 airline customers and closes to 2,500 staff.

Gilliland was most recently the CEO of Cherwell Products, an Ivanti-owned Colorado firm that develops information technology software for organizations. Gilliland has worked with Sabre for 25 years, beginning as a software developer.

In 2003, he was appointed chairman and CEO of Sabre, a position he held until 2013. While he was working there, He was called one of the highest-paid executives in the tourism industry. He has supervised over 10,000 people in sixty countries.

Eight out of every 10 undervalued employees are seeking a new job. According to new national data released recently, one-third of all employees in the UK, or nearly 10 million people, feel undervalued at work.

The ‘Appreciate Report,’ commissioned by Appreciate Business Services, Love2shop’s parent company, was created to reveal the degree of workplace satisfaction in 2022.

It demonstrates the genuine importance of employee rewards, with three-quarters of individuals (75%) believing that firms that give their employees regularly are more likely to recruit a higher caliber of employees, and 52% believing that productivity rises when they feel valued by their company. According to the survey, 41% of individuals who feel undervalued believe that regular awards from their company would increase their feeling of value, while the same amount believes that gift vouchers from their work throughout the year would make them feel more appreciated.

Nearly four-fifths (79%) of undervalued employees are searching for a new job, with the ratio rising to nine out of ten (90%) within the 18-24 age group.

According to the Appreciate Report, UK firms spontaneously gift employees an average of 1.3 times per year, despite respondents stating that this number should be increased to 2.3 times per year for employers to make employees feel valued. The research also discovered a gender disparity in workplace gift giving, with males receiving an average of 1.5 presents each year compared to women receiving 1.2. In addition, over half of those surveyed (46%) have never gotten a spontaneous present from their company, and more than a third (36%) believe their boss never or seldom appreciates their work or deeds. Surprisingly, just 12% of employees strongly feel that their bosses are generous.

In terms of a professional breakdown of workplace satisfaction, employees in publishing and journalism reported feeling the least valued, followed by those in the performing arts, the environment, and agriculture. When questioned about feeling appreciated at work, the top three occupations were property and construction, insurance and pensions, and law. Law enforcement and community members reported receiving the fewest spontaneous presents from their employers each year, at 0.3, while those in business, consulting, and management reported receiving the most, at 2.4 per year.

Workers in London and Northern Ireland feel the least valued, with an average value assessment of five out of ten, closely followed by those in the East Midlands (5.5). Employees in the South West are the most valued (6.5), followed by those in the West Midlands (6.1) and the North West (6.5). (5.9).

In addition, 92% of employees in the capital who feel undervalued are now searching for a new job, compared to 42% in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Six out of ten employees believe that days off, flexible working hours, and providing multi-retailer gift cards are the greatest methods to express thanks. If they were given a multi-retailer gift card, a startling 89% would spend it on food, drink, or apparel.  A study found that experts attribute it to the current cost of living problem with 30% indicating they would use it on their weekly buys. When asked about the importance of employee rewards, more than half of respondents (57%) say bonuses and regular rewards help employees feel valued at work, while 86% would feel valued at work if they received a surprise multi-retailer gift card or gift voucher worth £150, with only 7% saying it would not help them feel valued.

Frank Creighton, Director of Business Development at Appreciate, said:

“The extent to which UK workers feel undervalued and under-appreciated is alarming. 

“The fact that one-third of staff feel undervalued should be a massive wake-up call for UK business, particularly in light of the report, which found almost half (49%) of people would feel a heightened sense of loyalty to their employer if they felt valued by them”. 

“How undervalued employees are resolving this situation poses even greater concern. Our report’s data indicates that many will continue to vote with their feet by finding a business that does appreciate them”. 

“This ongoing nationally recognized trend, now known as the ‘Great Resignation’, is costing companies a huge amount of unexpected expenditure in recruitment, training, and time and that’s why it’s so important for more businesses to start making staff feel appreciated – by changing their attitude towards rewards”.

The highly skilled and trained Job Corps students, who have undergone hospitality and related training programs, are expected to take over the more than 130,000 open jobs in hospitality.

The Job Corps students access will get access to hotel jobs and AHLAF’s flagship apprenticeship program, through the help of this collaboration.

With access to Job Corps’ locations nationwide, AHLAF will be able to complement its existing workforce development programs by connecting its members with graduates from hospitality, culinary, facilities maintenance and other related Job Corps programs.

“Through our work with AHLAF, we can tap into their robust employer network and put our Job Corps graduates on the path to success,” said Rachel Torres, National Director of Job Corps. “Employers are increasingly looking to Job Corps as a source of talented, well-trained workers. We are all working toward the same goal as we begin this partnership together.”

“We are proud to team up with Job Corps as a platinum partner to strengthen our retention and recruitment programs,” said Sarah Cozewith, vice president of workforce development at AHLA Foundation.

About AHLA Foundation & Job Corps
The AHLA Foundation, the charitable giving arm of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, is dedicated to helping people build careers, improve their lives, and strengthen the lodging industry.

Job Corps is a federal career technical training and education program for young people who aspire to higher-paying careers and higher education.

AHLAF is a philanthropic organization that aims to educate and empower the hospitality workforce. It is also committed to creating an industry which is “as diverse as the guests we serve”.

The research published its findings after reviewing public company boards of 30 hospitality companies and 262 board members. They reviewed 10-k filings on corporate brands of public hospitality companies based in the United States. Using a data range of six years to track progress, some of the key findings include:

• Hospitality public company boards comprised 22.5% women in 2021. The Russell 3000 averaged 25.6 percent female board members in 2021 and will reach 27% in 2022.
• 7.6 percent of hospitality public company board members in 2021 were African American, up from 6.3 percent in 2020 and equivalent to pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
• There are three Black board chairs, one of whom is female. Only two boards had no female representation.

Research was conducted by the Castell Project. AHLA Foundation and Castell Project recently merged and stated they share same values of bringing diverse voices to the top.

“This research is crucial as part of the AHLA Foundation’s commitment to advancing diversity in hospitality,” said AHLAF Vice President of Workforce Development Sarah Cozewith

“While there is still work to do, we are proud to see the industry making DE&I a priority and look forward to tracking continued progress in 2023 and beyond,” said Peggy Berg, founder of the Castell Project.

The program is titled “Recognize and Respond: Addressing Human Trafficking in the Hospitality Industry.”

The training program was developed by Marriott in collaboration with non-profit organizations and survivor experts. It has been donated by Marriott to ECPAT-USA and is now available free through ECPAT-USA’s online learning platform thanks to the support of the AHLA Foundation.

“ECPAT-USA is honored to partner with the AHLA Foundation and Marriott International in our work to end human trafficking and child sexual exploitation and is grateful for their continued leadership and support. ‘Recognize and Respond: Addressing Human Trafficking Hospitality Industry’ will serve as a timely and deeply impactful resource for the entire travel sector,” said Lori Cohen, Chief Executive Officer of ECPAT-USA.

The program builds on the earlier “Your Role in Preventing Trafficking” training, which was released in 2020. The new program aims to further train and raise awareness of managers and associates about responding to potential trafficking situations and dealing with potential victims.

“One of No Room for Trafficking’s goals is to train every single hotel employee to identify and respond to a potential human trafficking situation. Through this innovative new training, the industry as a whole will be better equipped to help identify and stop cases of human trafficking,” said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA. “We are extremely grateful to Marriott International and leading trafficking prevention partners who are offering this free training with support from the AHLA Foundation.”

Earlier in July this year, AHLA hosted a No Room for Trafficking Summit in Washington, D.C to further strengthen efforts in eradicating human trafficking and supporting survivors. During the Summit, the AHLA Foundation announced a total of $1 million in donations from Hyatt Hotels Foundation, G6 Hospitality, and Extended Stay America to launch the No Room for Trafficking Survivor Fund.