Michael Whitaker, Ex-FAA Administrator, Appointed as Independent Director at IndiGo

IndiGo, operated by InterGlobe Aviation, has appointed former US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Michael Whitaker as an Independent Director, with the appointment subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals. He will replace Venkataramani Sumantran, whose term ends on May 27, 2025.

Whitaker’s aviation career began as an attorney for TWA in New York and Washington before spending 15 years at United Airlines in Chicago, where he served as Senior Vice President of Alliances, International, and Regulatory Affairs. After leaving United, he became the Group CEO of InterGlobe, India’s largest travel conglomerate, based in Delhi. In 2013, President Obama appointed him as Deputy Administrator of the FAA, a role he held until 2016. During his time at the FAA, Mike obtained his private pilot certificate. From 2020 to 2023, he worked at Supernal, a Hyundai company developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, first as Chief Commercial Officer and later as Chief Operating Officer. Whitaker holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Louisville and a law degree from Georgetown University.