AirAsia India, after much controversies, appointed its third consecutive CEO, again from a non-aviation field. Sunil Bhaskaran, who is currently working as the Vice President of Corporate Services at Tata Steel, will take over as the CEO of AirAsia India from 15 November 2018.
The AirAsia India was founded five years ago in 2013, having appointed its first CEO, the then head of an advisory firm Egon Zehnder International, Mittu Chandilya. Chandilya was also from a non-aviation field, and it brought him many challenges, too. At the time he got caught into a controversy, involving the employment of a lobbyist to get an aviation rule revised.
The second non-aviation CEO of AirAsia India, Amar Abrol, was appointed in April 2016, replacing Mittu Chandilya. Abrol was working as the head of a start-up company, before joining as the CEO of the airline. In May 2018, he left the position of the CEO to accept an important position at the parent company of AirAsia India, in Malaysia.
Bhaskaran is the first CEO of AirAsia India, appointed by Tata Sons. Tata Sons holds 49 per cent shares in AirAsia India, as much as the AirAsia holds itself. CBI had registered a case against Tony Fernandes, the founder of AirAsia group, earlier this year. The appointment of the new CEO by Tata shows the shift of control. Tata Sons are also planning to buy the left two per cent shares of the company that is under Venkataramanan (Tata Trusts trustee) and Ramadorai (Chairman AirAsia India).
Bhaskaran had started his career as a management trainee, at Tata Steel, in 1987, and continued working with the company, for over 40 years. Placing a non-aviation CEO, for the third time, can be a mistake. But, as Tata is trying to get a grip on the company, AirAsia India maybe benefitted with that. Although, in the past one year, the company has generated much more revenue as compared to earlier years. Last year, it had gained a net profit of Rs 13 crore, and the company expanded its airline’s fleet to 19 aircraft.
Yashica is a Software Engineer turned Content Writer, who loves to write on social causes and expertise in writing technical stuff. She loves to watch movies and explore new places. She believes that you need to live once before you die. So experimenting with her life and career choices, she is trying to live her life to the fullest.