Akasa Air Co-Founder Praveen Iyer Steps Down As Chief Commercial Officer

The development comes at a crucial phase for the airline, which has recently restarted its fleet expansion after a period of slower growth triggered by delayed aircraft deliveries from Boeing.

Iyer was part of the core leadership team that launched Akasa Air’s operations in August 2022.

Source : Akasa Air

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Akasa Air's Chief Commercial Officer and co-founder has resigned.
• This follows another co-founder's exit amid fleet expansion efforts.
• An internal executive will now lead the commercial operations.

Akasa Air’s Chief Commercial Officer and co-founder Praveen Iyer has resigned, marking the second high-profile exit at the three-year-old carrier.

The development comes at a crucial phase for the airline, which has recently restarted its fleet expansion after a period of slower growth triggered by delayed aircraft deliveries from Boeing.

Iyer was part of the core leadership team that launched Akasa Air’s operations in August 2022. In addition to serving as Chief Commercial Officer, he was a member of the airline’s executive committee and played a central role in shaping its commercial strategy during its formative years.

His departure follows last year’s exit of another co-founder, Neelu Khatri, who headed the airline’s international operations. The back-to-back senior-level changes signal a reshuffle at the top even as the carrier continues to consolidate its position in India’s competitive aviation market, reported News18.

Leadership Transition Announced

Following Iyer’s resignation, Akasa Air has appointed Chief Information Officer Anand Srinivasan as its new commercial head. The move indicates an internal transition aimed at ensuring continuity in commercial operations while the airline pushes ahead with growth plans.

The carrier, backed by the family of late investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, had secured fresh capital in August 2025 from the family offices of Wipro founder Azim Premji and Ranjan Pai. The funding injection came at a time when the airline was navigating delivery bottlenecks and recalibrating its expansion roadmap.

Expansion Back On Track

Iyer’s exit coincides with Akasa Air’s renewed push to scale up its fleet and network. After facing supply constraints linked to Boeing aircraft deliveries, the airline has resumed induction of new planes.

So far this year, Akasa has added three aircraft to its fleet and plans to induct around 12 more. The airline currently holds approximately 5 per cent share of India’s domestic aviation market.

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