IndiGo ex-commercial head Sanjay Kumar to be AirAsia India COO

NEW DELHI: Sanjay Kumar, IndiGo's former chief commercial officer, will now be AirAsia India Pvt Ltd's (AAIPL) chief operating officer (COO). Kumar, a veteran of Indian aviation industry, had quit IndiGo this June around the same time as Aditya Ghosh resigned as the leading budget airline's president.
A JV of Tata Group and Malaysian budget airline AirAsia, AAIPL is facing headwinds here in the form of probes from government agencies and churning at the top.Last month, Tata Steel's former vice-president Sunil Bhaskaran was appointed as AAIPL MD and CEO. The Tatas are reportedly reviewing their role in this JV.

In a statement, AAIPL said it has appointed Kumar as COO from December 03, 2018. "In the new role, he will be responsible for commercial operations of the airline. He will be instrumental in shaping next phase growth at AirAsia India and will be reporting to the newly appointed CEO & MD Sunil Bhaskaran."
Kumar has over 25 years of experience in the airline industry across functions like business planning, strategy, network development, distribution and sales.
AAIPL chairman S Ramadorai said, "We are thrilled to welcome Sanjay to the AirAsia India leadership team. He joins us at a time when the airline is in a growth momentum... I am confident that Sanjay's experience and knowledge of this sector will prove to be valuable in steering the company forward.
Kumar said: "I am delighted to be taking on the role of AirAsia India's COO. The airline has the best constituents with the Tata Group's credibility and AirAsia's innovative, proven, cost-effective and sound business model with a keen focus on customer satisfaction and people-friendly practices. I am looking forward to be a part of the airline's journey of growth and expansion in the Indian aviation industry."
Kumar has a master's degree in Economics from Meerut University and an MBA. In the past, he has worked with Air Sahara, Royal Airlines, SpiceJet and IndiGo.