Mittu Chandilya appointed Air Asia India CEO

The AirAsia Group Board has appointed India-born management consultant Mittu Chandilya as Air Asia India's CEO. 

AirAsia group Chief Executive Officer Tony Fernandes on Wednesday tweeted, "I am pleased to announce the Board of Air Asia India has appointed Mittu Chandilya as CEO AirAsia India."

33-year-old Chandilya is a Singapore-based management consultant whose last appointment was as the Head of the Asia -Pacific division of global search firm Egon Zehnder International, which is focused on advisory leadership in Aviation, Travel and Hospitality, among other things.

The Civil Aviation Ministry has for the past few weeks been seeking names of AirAsia India's top officials, including the CEO and other Directors, for mandatory security clearances before it approves the proposal to launch flight operations in the country.

Post-approval, the airline has to move aviation regulator DGCA to get its flying permit or the Scheduled Operator Permit (SOP).

Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh has said the airline was yet to submit names of its Directors and CEO. "I don't expect any problems. We have already sought the information," he had said on Tusday.

Fernandes along with Tata Sons and Arun Bhatia of Telestra Tradeplace has formed a 49:30:21 joint venture to launch the airline in the country, which will be headquartered in Chennai.

"Mittu is coming home to change the Indian travel and make it affordable for all Indians to fly," the AirAsia chief said.

Chandilya's appointment was made last month itself when Fernandes in an earlier tweet had said: "Selected the CEO for AirAsia India. A very smart boy from the South, Madras. An amazing CV will impress all."

With PTI inputs