Willie "Slasher" Walsh has two clear objectives when he takes over at IndiGo : restoring the low-cost carrier's reputation and expanding its global reach.

But beyond company-specific issues, the high-profile airline executive will also need to navigate a host of geopolitical challenges, including the impact the Iran war is having on air travel.

Meanwhile, Air India is also losing its chief executive, Reuters and other media have reported, amid persistent losses at the nation's No. 2 carrier and a crash last year that killed 260 people.

The deepening crisis in Indian aviation is our main focus this week. Share your views at blaine.rodrigues@thomsonreuters.com.

Plus, are weight-loss injections rapidly becoming a routine consideration in wedding preparations? Scroll down for more on 'Mounjaro brides'.

IndiGo's hiring of Walsh as CEO was seen as a coup within the industry when it was announced last week.

The veteran airline boss and former pilot made a name for himself as a hard-nosed cost cutter and savvy deal maker, returning carriers to profitability, expanding networks and overseeing the creation of International Airlines Group in 2011.

This makes Walsh a neat fit for the airline, Reuters Breakingviews columnist Ujjaini Dutta wrote.

His top and most immediate priority will be to repair the reputational damage from December, when an airline best known for punctuality was forced to cancel 4,500 flights - stranding passengers during the holiday rush - because it failed to adequately prepare for more stringent pilot rest rules. Read here for that analysis by Reuters' Abhijith Ganapavaram.

It was the worst crisis in the two-decade history of India's biggest carrier, and ultimately led then-CEO Pieter Elbers to resign suddenly and with immediate effect on March 10.

The quick hiring of Walsh suggests urgency and clarity at the airline's board to fix recent issues, analysts at brokerage Jefferies said in a note dated March 31.

Restoring operational reliability and addressing the crew-planning weaknesses that emerged with the new flight duty time rules will be key asks from Walsh, the analysts said. 

Air India CEO resigns amid pressure

Walsh will not be the only new CEO navigating India's beleaguered aviation sector, after Air India chief Campbell Wilson also resigned.

Air India has been reprimanded by regulators for safety lapses, including flying an aircraft eight times without an airworthiness certificate and running planes without checking emergency equipment.

Reuters reported in January that Air India's board was scouting for a new CEO to replace Wilson, a former Singapore Airlines veteran brought in to steer the Indian carrier's turnaround in 2022 after years of decline under government ownership.

New Zealand-born Wilson's term was due to end in 2027. He is currently serving a six-month notice period and plans to stay with the company until a successor is found, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Beyond a myriad of domestic issues, the next leaders of India's top two airlines will need to mitigate the effects of the Middle East conflict, which has sent fuel prices soaring and forced lengthy detours on some routes.

New Delhi announced last week it would cap monthly increases in aviation turbine fuel ‌prices for domestic flights at 25% to help shield passengers from sudden fare hikes.

Meanwhile, the deterioration in India's relations with Pakistan has closed Pakistan's airspace to Indian airlines as well, significantly increasing costs and flight times.

Airlines across the region have put in place contingency plans including trimming schedules and carrying additional fuel. Read here to understand some of the steps being taken.

Higher fuel costs, depreciation of the Indian rupee and lower international operations will hurt IndiGo's earnings for the financial year that began April 1, analysts at Mumbai-based brokerage Motilal Oswal said, as they cut their profit estimate for the airline by 15%.
    
IndiGo's global expansion goals

Immediate issues aside, analysts see Walsh's appointment as signalling the $16 billion budget carrier's seriousness about global network expansion and strategic partnerships.

At Aer Lingus, where he started out as a cadet pilot ⁠in 1979 before becoming CEO in 2001, Walsh stabilised long-haul operations while overhauling the short-haul business with significant cost cuts - earning him the nickname "Slasher".

IndiGo dominates the domestic market with a nearly two-thirds share, and currently flies to more than 40 international destinations.

It's set to take delivery in the next few years of longer-distance Airbus A321XLR and A350 jets.

Walsh doesn't take over until August, after his term ends as director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Until then, co-founder Rahul Bhatia remains in charge as interim CEO.

Indian banking stocks dropped to their lowest levels in a year last week on concerns over potential losses after the central bank intensified its crackdown on speculative activity in the rupee.

The Reserve Bank of India barred lenders from offering rupee non-deliverable forwards to resident and non-resident ⁠clients, days after it put a limit of $100 million on their net open rupee positions.

Read the full report here.

Jefferies said banks were hoping to stem the losses from the initial measures but the fresh curbs may bring the losses back to original estimates or even a touch higher.

The RBI's measures come as the rupee plumbed a series of all-time lows, battered by foreign outflows and fading investor conviction amid the oil shock triggered by the Iran war.

The Great Indian Wedding has a new fad. A rapidly increasing number of brides-to-be are looking to shed pounds before their big day, becoming the latest consumer target for the country's obesity drugs market.

Eight doctors interviewed by Reuters said they have been fielding inquiries from brides, and also some grooms, about taking weight-loss drugs before taking their vows. Many asked for Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, the first GLP-1 medication to enter India's market for both diabetes and weight loss.

Read the full report by Reuters journalist Rishika Sadam.