Mittu Chandilya appointed as CEO of AirAsia India
AirAsia Group stated (15-May-2013) the board of AirAsia India has appointed Mittu Chandilya as CEO of AirAsia India, to assume office on 01-Jun-2013. AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes, via Twitter, had early confirmed: "I am pleased to announce the board of Airasia India has appointed Mittu Chandilya as Ceo of Airasia India," adding: "Mittu is coming home to change Indian travel and make it affordable for all Indians to fly". Mr Fernandes described Chandilya as an "outstanding young man with great entrepreneurial skills", who is "very passionate" about the LCC business and "possesses the crucial understanding on how our business model works." 33-year-old Mr Chandilya is an Indian-born, Singapore-based management consultant whose last appointment was Principal and Head of Services practice in Asia-Pacific at Egon Zehnder International, with primary focus on airlines and aviation. Tata Sons Limited chairman emeritus Ratan Tata commented, "I am extremely pleased that the Board of Directors of AirAsia India has appointed Mr Mittu Chandilya as the CEO of the Company. I am confident that Mittu will provide the leadership and bring to bear his entrepreneurial skills in successfully growing this new airline in the Indian aviation space." Mr Fernandes added: "He is an outstanding young man with great entrepreneurial skills. He is very passionate about the LCC business and possesses the crucial understanding on how our business model works. He came from a highly competitive industry and experienced different business temperaments by working in many parts of the world, so he's perfect for the ever-volatile aviation business. India is an important market for us, and a CEO of Mittu's stature and business acumen would definitely help us to attain significant market share and achieve rapid growth in India." In accepting the appointment, the incoming CEO said, "I am a native of Chennai, and I am excited about returning to India to revolutionise the air travel industry here. I am looking forward to being part of the dynamic AirAsia family, and most importantly, to bring a whole new meaning to the word 'flying' to consumers in India." [more - original PR]