AirAsia India CEO Amar Abrol quits to move back to parent firm

Indian airline’s corner offices are seeing frequent change in guard. AirAsia India Chief Executive Officer Amar Abrol has quit.

“Abrol will be moving back to the AirAsia Group headquarters in Malaysia to work on group strategic projects effective June 2018,” AirAsia India said.

The airline which began operations in June 2014, further said, Abrol had expressed his desire to return to Malaysia to be closer to his family.

According to sources Abrol’s tenure would have been over in 2019. But the promoters were not happy with the airline’s financial and operational performance. Hence, the promoters wanted someone with an aviation background at the top. Abrol, a chartered accountant by profession, in his previous role was the CEO of Tune Money, a start-up that aims to deliver low-cost financial products in South East Asia, before AirAsia India. 

Abrol is the second CEO after his predecessor Mittu Chandilya to leave the airline abruptly. Chandilya, the high-street headhunter heading Egon Zehnder International's Asia Pacific operations and part-time model, who was handpicked by Air Asia group founder and chief executive Tony Fernandes himself, had to quit the company early February 2016 after a string of allegations surfaced including financial fraud under his nose and is now suing the former employer and auditor Deloitte for allegedly damaging his reputation.

AirAsia India has added six new routes and three aircraft since January and now commands a fleet size of 18 aircraft. The carrier is likely to add three more aircraft by the end of 2018, taking the tally to 20 and reaching the threshold to launch overseas flights. However, the airline has not been able to expand its market share beyond 3 percent due to severe competition from larger competitors like IndiGo and SpiceJet.

Abrol’s resignation comes days after Aditya Ghosh had resigned as IndiGo CEO and President.