Akasa loses another co-founder as Praveen Iyer quits

NEW DELHI: Akasa has lost another co-founder with Praveen Iyer — also the airline’s chief commercial officer (CCO) — resigning. A few months back, co-founder Neelu Khatri who was in charge of international operations had also quit. Akasa has appointed chief information officer as the new head of commercial.

The resignations of key people comes at a time when the airline is finally beginning to get aircraft from Boeing after a long gap and could scale up its fleet significantly this year. The airline, which started flying in Aug 2022, currently has 33 B737 MAX.

Iyer said “Building Akasa Air has been a defining journey and a deeply fulfilling experience. It has been a privilege to be part of an exceptional team, and I am proud of the achievements we have made in such a short span of time. I am confident the airline is well-positioned for its next phase of growth and wish the leadership and employees continued success.”

In a statement, Akasa said: "Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer Praveen Iyer has decided to move on to begin the next chapter of his life. Praveen will partner closely with the leadership team to ensure a smooth and structured transition through April 30, 2026. Co-Founder and Chief Information Officer Anand Srinivasan will take on the role of Chief Commercial Officer, and the IT function will report to Akasa Air’s Chief Financial Officer, Ankur Goel."