New Delhi

Akasa Air's Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer Praveen Iyer has resigned, marking the second high-level exit in four months at the over three-year-old airline.

After a five-year journey, Iyer has decided to move on to begin the next chapter of his life. He will partner closely with the leadership team to ensure a smooth and structured transition through April 30, 2026, the airline said in a statement.

Iyer is the second Co-Founder after Neelu Khatri to leave the airline, which started flying from August 7, 2022. Khatri stepped down in October 2025. Iyer is also part of the airline's Executive Committee.

Now, Akasa Air has four Co-Founders -- Aditya Ghosh, Anand Srinivasan, Belson Coutinho and Bhavin Joshi. Vinay Dube is the Founder and CEO of the airline.

Srinivasan, who is currently the Chief Information Officer, will take over as the Chief Commercial Officer. The airline has initiated the search for a Chief Information Officer.

With Srinivasan moving into the new role, the airline's IT function will report to Chief Financial Officer Ankur Goel.

Iyer said it was a privilege to be part of an "exceptional team" and expressed confidence that the airline is well-positioned for its next phase of growth.

About Iyer, Founder and CEO Dube said, "we are grateful for his leadership, clarity of thought, and long-term perspective during the formative years of the airline. I am deeply grateful to Praveen for his counsel and invaluable contribution in building Akasa and I wish him and his family the very best".

While Akasa Air has expanded its fleet to 33 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in less than four years of starting operations, the airline has faced multiple headwinds, including pilot issues and regulatory actions for certain lapses.

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Out of the 352 show cause notices issued by aviation watchdog DGCA to airlines for violations in the last two years, 17 notices were served to Akasa Air.

Akasa Air reported a loss of Rs 1,986.25 crore in 2024-25 while the cumulative loss of Indian airlines stood at Rs 5,289.73 crore during the same period, as per data provided by the civil aviation ministry to the Rajya Sabha on February 9.