IndiGo airline appoints former Volotea COO as 'Chief of Transformation'

Orea's role is going to be significant considering the transformative impact that the introduction of widebody planes is going to have at IndiGo

InterGlobe Aviation on Monday appointed Isidro Pablo Porqueras Orea, former Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Spanish low-cost airline Volotea, as ‘Chief of Transformation’ of IndiGo airline.

Currently, Wolfgang Prock-Schauer is the COO of India’s largest airline. Orea will take over the role from Prock-Schauer whenever he retires.

“Orea possess 25 years of professional experience in different functional areas such as operations, commercial, strategy and finance. He has been a C-level executive for the last 10 years,” IndiGo stated in its notice to BSE.

“He was with Volotea, one of the fastest growing airlines in Europe, from 2016-2023 and served as their COO for the last five years,” it noted.

Volotea, which currently operates about 1,420 flights per week, is a much smaller airline than IndiGo, which currently operates about 14,000 flights per week, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Orea assumed the role just four days after IndiGo, which currently operates a fleet of around 370 planes, finalised an order with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus for 30 A350-900 widebody aircraft. The deal is estimated to be valued between $4-5 billion. The delivery of A350-900 planes to IndiGo will begin in 2027.

Orea’s role carries significance, especially considering the transformative impact that the introduction of widebody planes will have on IndiGo. This move could potentially position IndiGo as a hybrid airline or a full-service carrier akin to Air India.

The evolving landscape of Indian airlines has led to the emergence of crucial roles such as the ‘Chief Transformation Officer’ and ‘Chief Integration Officer’. In February 2023, Air India made headlines with a substantial order for 470 planes, splitting the order between Airbus (250 planes) and Boeing (220 planes), with 70 of these aircraft designated as widebody planes. Presently, Vistara, a joint venture between the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines (with a 51:49 ownership ratio), is undergoing integration into Air India. Consequently, Vinod Kannan, CEO of Vistara, also holds the role of Chief Integration Officer to facilitate this merger process.

The April 25 order marks the first time that IndiGo is purchasing widebody planes -- which can travel long-haul and ultra-long-haul distances -- for its fleet. However, IndiGo does have some experience with widebody planes as it currently operates two B777 aircraft, leased from Turkish Airlines.

Former IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta had previously hinted at the possibility of adding business class seats to the airline's aircraft. However, thus far, IndiGo continues to operate an all-economy fleet. As for the A350-900 planes, the airline has yet to provide clarity on whether it intends to incorporate business class seating into these aircraft.

In June 2023, IndiGo placed the world's largest aircraft order, securing 500 A320neo family planes from Airbus. These aircraft are slated for delivery between 2030 and 2035. In addition to this colossal order, the airline is on track to receive approximately 460 planes by 2030 from its prior deal with Airbus. Hence, Airbus is poised to deliver a grand total of 990 aircraft (30 + 500 + 460) to IndiGo by 2035.

“Orea has been brought on board at a pivotal moment for the airline, which is undergoing a significant transformation to establish itself as a major international player. With an already dominant 60 per cent share in the domestic air passenger market, the airline is now focusing on expanding its international flights. Orea’s expertise is expected to play a crucial role in guiding IndiGo through this next phase of growth,” said an IndiGo executive.

Currently, only about 10 per cent of IndiGo’s total flights are international services. An aviation industry executive said that the role of CTO (Chief Transformation Officer) is to guide the airline through periods of significant change, ensuring that the organisation remains competitive and responsive to the evolving needs of the customers.