Akasa Air co-founder Praveen Iyer quits; Anand Srinivasan to take over as CCO

Praveen Iyer - Akasa Air

• Akasa Air's CCO Praveen Iyer resigns after five years with the airline
• Co-founder Anand Srinivasan named new Chief Commercial Officer
• Recent leadership exits mark a shift as Akasa Air enters next growth phase

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Akasa Air’s Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Praveen Iyer has resigned from the airline, marking another high-profile exit at India’s youngest carrier. His departure comes just four months after fellow co-founder Neelu Khatri stepped down from the airline.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Akasa Air said Iyer has “decided to move on to begin the next chapter of his life” after a five-year journey with the airline. He will work closely with the leadership team to ensure a “smooth and structured transition” through April 30, 2026.

Iyer has been a key member of Akasa’s founding leadership team and played a pivotal role in building the airline’s commercial strategy, partnerships and revenue framework since its inception.

Commenting on the transition, Vinay Dube, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Akasa Air, said, “Praveen has been instrumental in shaping not just Akasa’s commercial vision but the airline itself and translating that ambition into sustained growth. He has built a strong and resilient commercial organisation, nurtured future leaders, and established partnerships and frameworks that continue to support our network expansion and revenue strategy.”

Reflecting on his tenure, 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.”

Leadership Transition

Akasa Air announced that Co-Founder and Chief Information Officer (CIO) Anand Srinivasan will assume the role of Chief Commercial Officer. The IT function will now report to Chief Financial Officer Ankur Goel.

Dube said the airline was fortunate to have “deep leadership talent and domain expertise,” adding that Srinivasan was one of the early architects of Akasa.

“Anand has deep expertise in commercial and revenue algorithms, including building the revenue management platform that we use today. His ability to combine commercial strategy with a technology-first mindset is extremely exciting as we enter our next phase of growth and complexity,” Dube said.

Srinivasan, who brings over 25 years of experience across aviation technology and commercial functions in India and international markets, said he looks forward to building on the airline’s commercial foundation.

“Akasa has been built with a clear purpose, strong fundamentals, and an exceptional team. I look forward to delivering sustained growth, stronger customer value, and long-term competitiveness as we scale,” he said.

Under Srinivasan’s leadership, Akasa’s technology team built platforms across revenue systems, operational technology, digital products, data and analytics. The airline has initiated a search for a new Chief Information Officer to strengthen its technology leadership.

As part of the transition, the IT function will report to CFO Ankur Goel, who the airline said has a proven track record of building high-performing teams.

Recent Departures

Iyer’s exit follows the resignation of Neelu Khatri, Co-Founder and Senior Vice President – International Operations, who left the airline to pursue a new professional direction. Khatri was instrumental in establishing Akasa’s international business and was among the founding members of the airline.

In recent months, other senior executives have also moved on, including:

Rishabh Dev, Head of Long-Term Operations, Strategy, Excellence and Planning

Amol Mane, Vice-President of Aircraft Acquisition and Leasing

Vineet Mishra, Deputy General Manager – Catering

The latest changes mark a significant shift in the airline’s founding leadership as it enters its next phase of growth.