BackAirAsia India CEO Amar Abrol to step down in June
AirAsia India's MD and CEO Amar Abrol has resigned from his position and will move back to the AirAsia Group headquarters in Malaysia to work on group strategic projects effective June
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Mumbai: AirAsia India’s managing director and chief executive Amar Abrol has resigned from his position and will move back to the AirAsia Group headquarters in Malaysia to work on group strategic projects effective June, the no-frill carrier said in a statement today.
“Mr Abrol had expressed his desire to return to Malaysia to be closer to his family," the statement said. “The board of AirAsia India would like to thank him for his contributions and will work closely with him to ensure a smooth transition."
The airline, however, did not name Abrol’s successor.
AirAsia India, which is majority owned by the Tata Group, carried 524,000 passengers in March and had a market share of 4.5%, according to Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) data.
The airline carried 4.32 million passengers in 2017 and had a market share of 3.7%.
Abrol, who is the second chief executive of the airline and was appointed to lead it after his predecessor Mittu Chandilya quit in 2016, saw the expansion of the fleet from six at that time to 18. During Abrol’s tenure the airline also expanded its people and network three-fold.
Calls, mails and messages to Abrol remained unanswered. A detailed questionnaire sent to AirAsia India seeking comments from the airline on Abrol’s replacement and future plans remained unanswered till press time.
Abrol had said in a February interview that AirAsia India’s short-term plans included aggressive expansion—in terms of fleet, routes, services and market share—and flying to international destinations.
He had said that the airline would ultimately seek to be one among the top three in its segment once it has 60-70 aircraft in its fleet, over the next few years. Challenges for Abrol, especially during the last couple of quarters, included rising fuel prices and lower yields that threatened to derail the growth of airline.
Abrol was brought in to stabilise AirAsia India, said an industry expert who did not want to be named.
“You have got to give credit to Amar Abrol for stabilising the airline’s operations and expanding it further," said the industry expert.
“The replacement is likely to be someone who helps take the airline to its next level of growth in line with the vision of Tony Fernandes (the founder of Air Asia)," the person said.
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