The co-founders of India’s No. 1 airline are engaged in a bitter feud. Theirquarrel couldn’t have come at a worse time for minority shareholders ofInterGlobe Aviation Ltd., the company that owns IndiGo.
Investors were just starting to enjoy the fruits of a frenetic expansion that saw the no-frills carrier, Asia’s largest, double its capacity in the three years through March. Full-cost rivalJet Airways IndiaLtd. tried to keep up, until it was forced to groundits last planein April under a truckload of debt. Meanwhile, InterGlobe has put together a cash war chest — net of debt — of nearly $2 billion.
This is the time for IndiGo to be rewarding shareholders by consolidating its leadership position and filling the gap left by Jet, especially on overseas routes. Instead, the founders are busy picking fights.
