Vistara has announced that Vinod Kannan has taken over as the airline’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Kannan succeeded Leslie Thng, who served as CEO from July 16, 2017, to December 31, 2021, according to a statement from the carrier.
“I am honoured to be given the opportunity to carry forward the momentum that Mr Leslie Thng has built during his time at Vistara. I look forward to continuing strengthening Vistara’s position in domestic and international markets, along with such a capable and resilient team”, said Vinod Kannan.
Kannan joined Vistara in June 2019 as Chief Strategy Officer and was promoted to Chief Commercial Officer in January 2020. As a Chief Commercial Officer, he was responsible for designing, executing, and sustaining Vistara’s corporate strategy and guaranteeing the airline’s commercial success.
Kannan has worked for Singapore Airlines for nearly two decades, holding many prominent roles in the airline’s Singapore headquarters as well as overseas.
According to the statement released to the media, Kannan holds a Postgraduate degree in Business Administration Studies from the reputed National University of Singapore, and the University of California, Los Angeles.
Deepak Rajawat promoted as CCO
Effective Saturday, Deepak Rajawat has been promoted to Vistara’s Chief Commercial Officer. According to the airline’s announcement, Rajawat has been with Vistara since its beginning and has held many senior responsibilities in corporate planning and finance functions.
He will be in charge of a broad range of Vistara’s strategic and commercial operations, including pricing and revenue management, network planning, sales and distribution, partnerships and alliances, product development, in-flight services, marketing, branding, and customer experience.
Tata Sons Private Limited and Singapore Airlines have a 51:49 joint venture called Vistara (SIA).
In another development, Vistara aims to add four more Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner jets to its fleet of wide-body aircraft in 2022, bringing the total number of wide-body planes in its fleet to six. This will allow the full-service carrier to offer direct long-haul flights to more foreign destinations.
Vistara has two Boeing 787-9 planes that operate flights between London, Frankfurt and Paris.
Vistara operates a fleet of 51 planes, including 40 Airbus A320s, four Airbus A321neos, five Boeing 737-800NGs, and two Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, and has flown over 30 million passengers since its inception.
