India’s Vistara changing CEOs

Leslie Thng, the chief executive officer at India’s Vistara for more than four years, is moving back to Singapore to take a “senior role” at Singapore Airlines from 1 January 2022. The board of TATA SIA Airlines, the joint venture that owns Vistara, has named  Vinod Kannan to succeed Thng.

Kannan is currently serving as Vistara’s chief commercial officer. He joined the airline in June 2019 as chief strategy officer and currently heads network planning, revenue management, marketing, customer experience and cabin service functions. He started his career with Singapore Airlines in 2001 and has held various senior positions in the airline. Prior to joining Vistara, he served as chief commercial officer for Scoot, the budget airline subsidiary of the Singapore Airlines Group. He has handled global network planning and has spent eight years running operations in Indonesia, Italy and Saudi Arabia. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from the National University of Singapore and University of California, Los Angeles.

Vistara 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.”

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