Tatas people in key posts help get upper hand in AirAsia India

A joint venture, majority-owned by Tatas, the airline’s other shareholder is Malaysia’s AirAsia group. The carrier, which commenced flights nearly six years ago, flew 878,000 passengers garnering 6.8 per cent domestic market share in November.

Over the years, there have been concerns raised in certain quarters about alleged role of the Malaysian partner having a bigger say in various matters related to AirAsia India.

“Tata Sons has now an upper hand in the management of AirAsia India as against earlier when AirAsia group will call the shots in the matter of key appointments. At present, most of top positions at the carrier including the MD & CEO and CFO have people who have been closely associated with the Tata Group,” a source said.

In the formative years of the airline, it was AirAsia Group which had a major say in the selection of people for all top positions, including that of the CEO and CFO, the source said.

The carrier’s MD and CEO Sunil Bhaskaran and head of marketing Siddhartha Butalia are Tata Group veterans.

To a query seeking comments on the issue, AirAsia Group said “AirAsia India will be in a better position to look into this request”, while a query sent to AirAsia India did not yield any response.

Tata Sons declined to offer any comments.

Former CEOs – Mittu Chandilya and Amar Abrol – as well as many other senior level executives at the airline were in a way AirAsia Group’s appointees, the source claimed.

AirAsia India started operations in June 2013 and flies to 21 destinations. While Tatas have 51 per cent stake, the remaining shares in the airline are with AirAsia Investment Ltd, the investment arm of AirAsia Group. Sunil Bhaskaran joined the carrier as its MD and Chief Executive in November last year from Tata Steel. Besides, CFO Vikas Agarwal served Titan for a year before moving to AirAsia India in November this year.