This is the second major setback for this three-year-old airline, as earlier also another co-founder had left the company. Iyer leaves the company at a time when the airline is trying to get its expansion plans back on track after delays in delivery of aircraft.

New leadership after resignation

According to reports, Praveen Iyer was an important part of the founding team of Akasa Air and was also a member of the executive committee of the airline. Following his resignation, the company has appointed its current Chief Information Officer, Anand Srinivasan, as the new commercial head with immediate effect.

However, no official comment has come from the airline on this news yet.

Second consecutive big exit in top management

Praveen Iyer’s resignation is the second high-profile exit from Akasa Air’s top management.

• Previous Exit: Last year, the airline’s other co-founder, Neelu Khatri, who headed international operations, also left the company.




• Establishment: Akasa Air started its flights in August 2022 and it has been in operation for just about three years. The departure of two co-founder level executives in such a short period is important news from the point of view of corporate governance and stability.

Expansion plans and challenges

Iyer’s resignation comes at a critical juncture for the airline. Akasa Air is currently trying to revive its growth which had slowed down due to delay in delivery of planes from ‘Boeing’.

A look at the airline’s current status and plans:

• Market Share: Currently Akasa Air’s share in the domestic market is around 5%.




• Fleet Detail: The airline’s growth had slowed for some time due to delivery delays by aircraft manufacturer Boeing. However, so far this year the company has added three new aircraft to its fleet and plans to add about 12 more aircraft by the end of the year.




• Funding and Backing: The airline is backed by the family of late veteran investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala. Additionally, the company had raised fresh capital in August 2025 from the family office of Wipro founders Azim Premji and Ranjan Pai.

What will it mean?

Praveen Iyer’s role as Commercial Head was critical to the airline’s revenue management, network planning and sales. Now this responsibility will be on Anand Srinivasan. The biggest challenge before the new leadership will be to ensure timely delivery of aircraft from Boeing and increase its 5% share in the domestic market.

Investors and market experts will be keeping an eye on whether these changes taking place at the top level affect the airline’s aggressive expansion strategy or not.

Praveen Iyer’s departure is certainly a challenging development for Akasa Air, especially when the company is in an aggressive expansion phase. However, recent funding from stalwarts like Azim Premji and Ranjan Pai and the appointment of Anand Srinivasan indicate that the company is ready to stabilize its operations. The addition of 12 new aircraft will determine the direction of the company in the coming months.