Turnaround expert Kaushik Khona back in GoAir's cockpit for second innings

Khona's abilities will be put to test again as he begins a second innings at the Wadia group airline

When Kaushik Khona took over as the chief executive officer of GoAir in summer of 2009, the airline had barely six aircraft and limited operations. A few months earlier, GoAir had introduced a business class product (the first for an Indian no-frills airline) and attractive fares to lure flyers. But customer confidence remained low owing to the high rate of flight cancellations. Khona, who had been a vice president in the Wadia group before this appointment, steadied the ship, improved the aircraft utilisation and expanded the airline’s network with a focus on mini metros and tier II cities. When he