Akasa Air co-founder Neelu Khatri resigns in senior management exit at country’s youngest airline

Mumbai: Neelu Khatri, co-founder and Senior Vice President–International at Akasa Air, has resigned, marking a key senior management exit at the country’s youngest airline. A former Wing Commander in the Indian Air Force, Khatri was part of the founding leadership and played a pivotal role in setting up the carrier’s international business.

Her departure comes as Akasa is in the middle of an aggressive global push, less than three years after launching operations. The airline entered the overseas market in March 2024 with flights to Doha and has since added Jeddah, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait City, and Phuket to its network. People aware of the matter said her exit is not expected to slow expansion plans already in motion.

“An early believer in Akasa, Neelu has been integral in building on our vision and backing our early success,” the airline said in a statement Thursday, while reiterating that its “international expansion ambitions remain unchanged.”


Before joining Akasa, Khatri held senior roles at Honeywell Aerospace and Rolls-Royce India. At Akasa, she was seen as a key driver of the airline’s overseas strategy, from regulatory groundwork to initial route launches.

Akasa, backed by the late Rakesh Jhunjhunwala’s Rare Enterprises and led by former Jet Airways CEO Vinay Dube, has carried over 21 million passengers since its launch in August 2022. It currently operates 30 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft connecting 24 domestic and six international destinations.

The airline has signalled long-term intent with a firm order for 226 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, including 150 placed earlier this year. In August, it closed a strategic funding round led by Premji Invest and Claypond Capital to support fleet and network growth.