Akasa Air has appointed its marketing chief Belson Coutinho to a newly created chief operating officer role, amid slower growth in 2024 and increased regulatory scrutiny in recent months.
The Indian low-cost operator says Coutinho, who is also an airline co-founder, assumed the new role on 6 January. He will “lead Akasa Air’s crucial operational functions”, overseeing areas such as inflight and airport services, maintenance and engineering, as well as flight operations.
“With over two decades of experience in the aviation industry, Belson has delivered multiple industry-first initiatives in Indian aviation, underpinned by his strong operational, strategic and leadership skills,” Akasa states. It is not immediately clear if Coutinho remains in his previous role.
The announcement comes after a tepid 2024 for the airline, which began operations in August 2022. The Boeing 737 Max operator was impacted by production caps on the narrowbody programme – imposed by US regulators following an in-flight cabin door-plug blow-out on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9.
Akasa has 150 Max 10s and high-density Max 8-200s on order, in addition to more Max 8s. The airline received its 20th 737 Max 8 on August 2023 – its first anniversary – but only took delivery of six more aircraft since then, which has limited its growth opportunities.
Airline executives told FlightGlobal last June that the airline was “very happy with our delivery streams” despite production delays at Boeing. The airline was also bullish on international expansion, having launched its first international flights to Doha in March 2024.
Adding to Akasa’s challenges was the suspension of two senior directors – of operations and training – in late December, after a regulatory audit found training violations.
