Vistara’s current Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Leslie Thng, will not be the airline’s CEO starting January 1, 2022. The role has been given to Mr Vinod Kannan, and he will become the airline’s new CEO from the said period. Thng served the airline as its CEO for more than four years. But from January 1, 2022, Thng will move on to a “senior appointment” with Singapore Airlines. For the unaware, Kannan is already a part of the airline and is serving as its current Chief Commercial Officer (CCO).
Kannan Had Joined Vistara In 2019
Kannan had joined Vistara in 2019 as the airline’s Chief Strategy Officer (CSO). His role currently undertakes activities such as Revenue Management, Network Planning, Customer Experience, Marketing, and Cabin Service functions.
It is worth noting that Kannan has had an experience of many years in the industry. He started working with Singapore Airlines in 2001, and since then, he has held multiple senior roles. Before coming to Vistara, Kannan was working with Scoot, a budget airline subsidiary of Singapore Airlines Group.
Kannan has handled global network planning and has spent 8 years running operations in Indonesia, Italy and Saudi Arabia.
Vistara’s Chairman, Bhaskar Bhat, said, "Leslie has led the airline through a significant phase, with the start of international operations and the entry into service of various aircraft including the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Vinod will lead Vistara in its next phase of growth, building on the strong foundation laid by Leslie. This Company continues to benefit from the strong commitment of the two partners Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, to Vistara.”
Vistara will require a good leader after Thng and Kannan sound like the perfect man to do the job, given his experience in the industry and the multiple airlines he has worked with. It will be interesting to see Vistara under the leadership of a new man as the airline market intensifies.